What a tangled web
by mabelreid
Summary: A friend of Gideon's asks for help tracking a serial killer. But what does this killer have to do with Dr Ried. JJRied Chapter 9 is up and the story is complete
1. Chapter 1

A/N Please head all warning, violence, language and mild sexual content, nothing graphic.

I own nothing from CM only my own characters

Prologue

Midnight

_He was thrilled, he'd returned to the beautiful meadow he knew so well. There was peace for him here. The sun was bright gold on his face and shoulders, but not harsh and blinding. He sat down in the middle of the tall grass. As tall as he was the grasses still hid his lanky frame from the world. They waved softly in the perfumed breeze. The smell reminded him of early childhood before his mother changed, before his father left, before the endless beatings of his sadistic classmates, before his world became a constant wash of darkness and bright harshness. He closed his eyes and breathed it in like ambrosia, his heart beat slowing, slowing. He was utterly still as he never was in the "real world." There were so many things he despised about the real world, pain, loneliness, humiliation, and so much more. He often wished he could stay here always. _

_He did not hear her sit down next to him. He only sensed her presence as he always did. He didn't open his eyes. He wouldn't see her face. He never did and he was tired of asking her why he couldn't see her. She always said he wasn't ready to see her yet. _

"_Hi, you're back. I am so glad you came." Her voice was familiar, but not like someone you talk to and know, but like something you hear and don't recognize unless you really think about it and he didn't want to think. He had to think every day of his life. He was expected to pull appropriate information out of the minutiae in his brain on a daily basis. His coworkers expected it from him. Sometimes he hated them for their expectations, they way they expected him to pull off miracles for them and he resented it more than he would ever say. _

"_Hi yourself, when are you going to tell me your name and let me see your face?" He asked this with no trace of a stutter or his usual blush when talking to women outside of his job._

"_Actually I think you will be seeing me very soon." she said her voice a soothing timbre he that always quieted his soul. _

_He was surprised into opening his eyes at that last remark. He immediately wished he hadn't, the scene had changed drastically around him. The smell was horrible, enormous, he wanted to vomit. She was gone and he saw another woman lying on a bed. She had been horribly mutilated and beaten. He didn't want to see this, but he had no choice but to look. He stepped closer walking through the woman's blood._

_Her eyes were open and staring at infinity, her mouth open in a scream. He stumbled back to the wall when her head turned and she said. "You wanted to see me Spencer, well here I am. But you have to be quick or you'll never see me again."_

He screamed and screamed, bolting up out of sleep into his dark bedroom. He fumbled for the bedside light. His breath came in harsh sobs. He threw off the bedclothes and leaped out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom and falling to his knees in front of the toilet. He was violently ill, bring up everything he had eaten the evening before and he continued to dry heave for some time, wincing at the burning sensation in his throat from stomach acids. Finally the dry heaves stopped, he fumbled for some toilet tissue and wiped his mouth and chin. He slammed the lid down and flushed the toilet. He stayed there on his knees for some time with his head on the lid, weeping as a small child wept when badly frightened by the monsters in his closet.

Across town in a small one bedroom rental house, Jennifer Jareau tossed and moaned in her bed. But these weren't moans of pain or distress. She cried out his name and her eyes popped open, she sat up turning on her bedside table lamp.

"Damn it," she said running her hands through sleep tousled blonde hair. She sat for awhile, legs drawn up, and her back against the headboard. She relished and she hated the sensations she still felt from the highly erotic dream she had just had about _him_. Against her better sense she wondered what kind of a lover he would be in real life. He was fantastic in her dreams and that was the problem, how could she continue to go to work, every day and wear this mask of "I don't care" when she had such arousing dreams about him. Sighing she got out of bed and walked in the kitchen. While she waited for the tea she wanted to steep, she weighed her options. On the one hand she could just ignore the dreams and the feelings they stirred up and hope they went away. Or she could confront _him_, proposition _him_ for a one night stand and get it out of her system. On the other hand she could quit her job and never see him again. Or she could just ignore him from now on and hope no one wondered why. Lowering her head to the table she began to softly bang her head against it.

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."  
--Edgar Allan Poe


	2. Chapter 2

Sheriff Daniel Connor was desperate. This was the fourth murder in two months in his town and he was running out of options fast. He had been called to the scene by a hysterical rookie. Said rookie was now losing his lunch on the front lawn. Not that Connor blamed him, what a horror show. This was worse then anything he had seen in his career, and he had thought he had seen it all. He thought he had left all of this behind when he retired from the bureau five years ago, but psychotics seemed to pop up even in the relatively small town of Lawrenceville Kansas.

He thought he could leave the madness of Washington DC behind and spend the rest of his active days in obscurity, making sure the local teens didn't park after midnight at swimming hole. He could mediate disputes over land and water rights. And a host of other mundane things, but murder and murder of this kind, he'd hoped never to see it again. Hope had failed him spectacularly. You could all but swim in the blood. Worst of all was the writing on the wall in the victim's blood. This was getting beyond his skill to deal with effectively.

"The Medical Examiner should be here soon so stay out of her way" he told the detective on scene. _ A lot of luck trying to process the scene with the pathetic equipment they had_. _Damn bureaucrats and their damn budget cuts he thought to himself bitterly."_

When were the dunder heads in Topeka going to learn that their small jurisdictions needed equipment just like the capital had to command? _"The dead don't vote" the legislators would say sounding officious and condescending. _The dead may not vote but he did and he longed to have the power to throw the governor and the legislature out of office and start over.

"I've had it detective. I don't want to see another dead body on my watch. And with this change, the writing in blood, I am calling in a favor. I should've done this after the second one but I let the city council over rule me"

"But sheriff the feebs-"

"You watch your mouth boy, Jason Gideon and his team are hardly "Feebs." They happen to be the very best at what they do. So you will show them respect, do you read me detective?"

"Yes sir" the young detective said coming smartly to attention.

"Good, now you finish here I have a favor to call in."

Sheriff Connor walked out to the front of the small house and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and smiled when the familiar voice came on the other end.

"Jason, how the hell are you my friend?"

"Danny is that you? I don't believe it. It's been ages. How are Marsha and the boys?" Gideon asked

"We're all right as rain but I got a huge problem here my friend, I need a favor and I need it as fast as you can get here."

5 am Reid's apartment

Spencer sat at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee. He had been unsuccessful in getting back to sleep after the dream. He didn't understand why this dream had changed. He enjoyed this recurring dream he had had all of his life. The woman in the dream had been a child when she first appeared in his dream just as he had been a small boy when he had the dream for the first time. She was his only friend for most of his life and she grew up with him. Many times he had tried to rationalize her. That she was the manifestation of some deep rooted need, or some other Freudian thing, but he couldn't quite believe it. It was almost as if he had once known her or seen her somewhere. But how could that be when she had never shown him her face. To see her dead like that had been a severe shock and he didn't know what to make of it.

He was very happy that it was another work day. He would be distracted even if there wasn't a case because _she _would be at work. She was so beautiful; she took his breath away every day. He hadn't believed his luck when she said she would go to the football game with him. He would be forever grateful to Gideon for giving him the tickets. They had a lot of fun and she listened to him afterwards when they went for food. He found himself telling her all about what had transpired at the hospital, how he had been hurt by what Hotch had done. He knew that Hotch would rather cut off a limb than hurt him that way but it still bothered him more than he could admit to anyone except for _her._ He was disappointed when she wanted to remain friends, but for now he was content to see her every day. It didn't appear she was dating anyone right now so he allowed himself a foolish hope that someday she might look at him differently. For now he would remain at arms length because it was what she wanted, even if it was a knife to the heart to be near her. She deserved to be happy even if it wasn't with him.

730 am Wednesday morning BAU

JJ was pacing her office. This was ridiculous, she never paced. She hadn't been able to go back to sleep after the dream last night. She had turned the problem over and over in her mind for hours and had gotten no where. She had snuck in here like a thief hoping to avoid everyone until she could get herself under control. She had beat Gideon into the office and would not have to endure his gaze for a while. She was sure he had some idea of her feelings and she didn't want to talk about it.

She knew that she should be working on something. Her desk had piles of paperwork on it and she was actively ignoring all of it. She wanted to go into the bull pen so badly she could almost taste it. She just wanted to see him at his desk. If she were honest she could admit to herself that this is more then a sexual attraction. Not that he wasn't hot because he was, but not like other guys who know they're attractive. He is kind and gentle and he could be very funny, too.

She sat down behind her desk and tried to concentrate, hoping that work would help get her mind off Spencer. "_I think I'm in love. I'm in big trouble"_ There came a knock at her door. What if it was Gideon, or worse Spencer? _"great, just great, come on Jareau get it together maybe you can fool which ever one it is or if God is listening a_ _really big case will drop into you lap and totally distract everyone. Oh God, not that I want anyone dead but- Jeez, girl stop babbling to yourself and answer the door already or whoever is on the other side will wonder what is wrong with you.."_

It was Gideon when she answered the door and she sighed inwardly hoping her heart wasn't on her sleeve.

"Good morning boss, how are you?" She said brightly, trying to cover up her feelings. Gideon wasn't fooled by her attempts. After all he wasn't one of the best for nothing. And he knew his team and something had changed in the way she was looking at a certain young genius. If Gideon knew his agents and he did then he was pretty sure her interest was returned. He wondered how long it would be before they both gave up on each other in despair, or until they stopped denying their mutual feelings and got together. But now wasn't the time for that discussion, something had dropped in their laps that needed to be dealt with more than inter-office affairs of the heart. JJ was elated when he told her about their latest case. She could use it to keep her mind off of Dr Reid. And she could see him up close and no one would question it or think it odd.

8:30 am Wednesday morning BAU bull pen

"Hey there Reid, I see you're still drinking high octane sugar" Morgan quipped. Did you have a rough night?"

"Just once I'd like to have some coffee in peace and not have to answer to you about my sleeping habits" Reid said irritably as he walked back to his desk. The circles under his eyes that morning were big enough to swim in.

"Hey I am just a concerned friend, Morgan said as he approached Reid's desk. He sat down in the chair across from Reid and asked, seriously are you ok? I thought you said the nightmares had backed off a bit?"

Reid sighed and said, "I thought they had to, but the last few nights have been worse then ever and the tone has changed too." It was a testament to how their friendship had progressed, that Reid would have this conversation with Morgan.

"My whole life, well for as long as I can remember I have had this recurring dream. There is no pattern to when it will come, usually recurring dreams return to people in moments of stress in their lives, or when they can't get anywhere with a problem, or-"

"Whoa Dr Reid you're off in the land of tangent again, stick to your point" Morgan interrupted.

"Sorry bad habit, anyway the recurring dream I have has always been fairly benign if a little mysterious."

Reid got no further because Hotch and JJ entered the bull pen. JJ avoided looking directly at Dr Reid when she said. "Everyone we have a new case, Gideon wants all of us in the conference room now."

As they turned to walk up to the conference room Spencer caught her eye and smiled nodding his head in greeting. She smiled and nodded in return her heart beginning to race.

"_Damn it did I just blush?" She looked around carefully and no one appeared to have noticed including Spencer. "Thank God he is a little dense when it comes to women or I would be so busted!" she thought mortified to her toes._

JJ was immediately more comfortable as she took her place and began to tell the other about the case they had just been handed.

She tapped some keys on her laptop and brought up the images Gideon had sent her from an email file he had received.

"Four women have been murdered in and around the area of Mariposa County in Kansas. The MO is the same every time. These women are kidnapped from their homes in the middle of the night. He uses chloroform to grab them and then other drugs to keep them under his control. He will keep them from exactly ten days and then he dumps them in various places where they are easily found."

"Why are we just getting this case now?" Hotch said looking very annoyed.

"Two reasons, JJ said, first the City Council of Lawrenceville overruled Sheriff Daniel Connor after the second murder. They don't want the media attention we always bring with us. They believed that Sheriff Connor who is retired FBI and their brilliant young Medical Examiner could catch this guy on their own; in fact they insisted that they do just that. Also when the latest victim was killed it was in her home. He held her there for only five days before killing her and the violence against her escalated as well." JJ began to click through photos of the other dump sites and the crime scene at the last victim's home.

"As you can see the first victim was beaten and her throat cut. This is true with the others but the violence goes up with every kill and the last one, well you can see for yourselves. It looks like he also left a message for the authorities written in blood on the wall above her bed."

"I wonder what it was that caused him to alter his fantasy and escalate so rapidly, Dr Reid said his lips pursed, he rocked a little in his chair. "He killed her after only five days so drawing out their pain isn't doing it for him anymore." He looked up at JJ and said "Where they sexually assaulted?"

"No, just mutilated and throats cut, and in the case of the last victim, stabbed several times."

"Interesting, he seems to be into piquerism."

"What is that" she asked.

"He is impotent even rape doesn't get him off, so he uses a blade as a substitute for penetration." Elle explained

"Oh," JJ said looking a little ill, which she didn't think was possible after all she had seen in the last year with this team

"So why did we finally get this case?" Hotch asked again.

"Because Sheriff Connor is a friend of mine from his days in the Bureau in DC." Gideon said. "He wasn't in the BAU. He investigated a lot of kidnappings and serial murders before the BAU even existed. He was the one that called me in on this and he is the one that has to tell the City Council he just overruled their decision to keep us out."

"Well at least we won't have problem with attitude from the locals" Morgan said.

They got up and headed out to grab the bags they always had packed for these trips.

On the plane they were discussing the problem of the first three victim's trails going cold because they had been shut out.

"So, what is with the folks in charge in this town, do they like seeing their women tortured and murdered." Morgan said sarcastically.

"No, Mariposa County is mostly farming country miles and miles of corn and wheat fields as far as the eye can see. Lawrenceville is the largest town in the county and is the county seat so the City Council is the ruling body for the entire county. Recently the county won best place to live in the country for its low crime rate and the recent factories that have gone up creating lots of new growth. So the council doesn't want the rest of the country to know they have their own serial killer, it's not good for business." Gideon explained what Danny had told him.

"So they pin their hopes on a small police force and a Medical Examiner, albeit a brilliant one isn't that a bit like spitting into the wind?" Morgan said bewildered at the politics that had kept them out.

"Yep, sounds like a lot of fun for me. JJ said. I assume that will be part of my job this time, keeping the council off your backs?" She looked at Gideon hoping he would say no even though she knew he wouldn't it was her job after all. He just nodded at her a little smile of sympathy on his face.

Ok, then I guess I had better get to work on a strategy" she said getting up and moving to a corner seat out of their way. She brushed past Spencer on her way and her pulse rate skyrocketed again at the contact. It was like that game you play as a kid, rubbing a balloon against your hair and it stands up on end and then you touch a door knob or something else that is metal and there is an electric shook that makes you jump.

"_Oh jeez Jennifer, you really are in trouble, gotta hide now before someone notices." _She sat down and buried her face in her laptop.

As for Reid, his heart rate had jumped as well, "_Oh God, she smells so good, ok Spencer get a grip man! What if she notices, she thinks you are over her? What if Morgan notices, I'll never live it down." He moaned to himself. _He lowered his head to the case file in front of him pretending to study it while he waited for his flushed face to cool. He wanted the floor of the plane to swallow him up even if they were at 25 thousand feet.

Of course Gideon saw the whole thing and battled successfully with his desire to laugh out loud. He knew he shouldn't find it so funny, but really these two had it bad for each other and it was either laugh or wince in pain at how hard they were both trying not to give into their feelings.

It was a short flight in distance, but a very long one for two agents who both sighed in relief when the plane finally landed at a small private airstrip just outside Lawrenceville. They owner of the airstrip was another friend of the Sheriff and had been very willing to let the bureau land there and house their plane in his hanger. JJ had almost whimpered with relief to know that they wouldn't have to land in Topeka and drive eighty miles in close quarters with Spencer. It was bad enough when she found herself in the back of a squad car sandwiched between Morgan and Reid. As for Spencer, he sat staring straight ahead not speaking to anyone just like JJ was doing at his left. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the looks he was getting from the officers in the front of the car. Spencer was used to people looking at him like he was an interesting new plant species so it is doubtful that he would've noticed even if he had not been concentrating so hard on not becoming intoxicated by how close JJ was to him. Thanking God the ride was only 15 minutes he got quickly out of the car when they parked in front of the police station in the middle of town.

The Sheriff met them at the front desk and was much more successful then the rest of his staff in hiding his surprise at seeing Spencer. By this time everyone on the team including Spencer noticed the attention he was getting and when the dispatcher came out of the break room and saw him she dropped her cup of coffee. The noise of the cup shattering was like a bomb going off and everyone jumped including Gideon.

She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a cry and Spencer blushed crimson this time he didn't care who saw. _"What is it with these people did I suddenly grow a second head?" _Spencer thoughtThis was worse than his first day in high school, a scrawny kid with a huge intellect who had become the teachers' favorite and therefore the kids hated him.

"Excuse me, but what is the matter with you people, you are staring at my friend here like you have never seen a genius before now." Morgan was extremely put out by their stares, these were professionals after all.

"I think I can answer that for you." Connor said motioning them to follow him to another room. He turned to the bull pen and said angrily. "Get back to work and stop staring at the poor man, didn't your mothers teach you all manners for God's sake!" Everyone averted their eyes and tried hard to look busy. By this time Spencer was thoroughly unnerved and refused to make eye contact with anyone. He brushed past the last officer and entered the room at the back of the group. A hand fell on his arm and he looked down into JJ's beautiful eyes. She smiled at him and said quietly, "It'll be ok Spencer." He gave her a small smile and then looked up again realizing the group had gone dead quite they were looking at him like the other had. He realized he hadn't heard what Connor had said to them. He opened his mouth to ask them why they had all gone crazy, then his eye caught a picture of a woman tacked to the coke board. He stared in disbelief for a moment before the world went black and he fainted dead away into Morgan's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Warnings remain the same I own nothing but my own characters

The team and Sheriff Connor were sitting around the table in the break room. They were there because no one wanted to leave Reid. He was still unconscious on the couch where Morgan and Gideon had laid him a few minutes earlier, and they all were bombarding the Sheriff with questions.

"Please everyone sit down and let me tell you what I know." He turned to Gideon and said "Jason I am so sorry I had no idea this would happen. I didn't know he knew her," Connor said apologetically.

"It's all right Danny why don't you start from the beginning." Gideon said patting him on the shoulder as they all sat down. Morgan had wanted to try to wake Reid up but Gideon said to leave him be he would come around on his own. JJ sat where she could watch him and not call attention to herself. She had been badly frightened when he had passed out and was trying desperately not to show it.

"The woman in the photograph is Dr. Stephanie Matthews. She is an assistant state medical examiner assigned to our county. She is just under 25 years old. She has a tested IQ of 185 with an eidetic memory. She graduated high school at 12 and college with a forensic pathology degree at 16."

"Let me guess Sheriff she has 3 PhDs too," Morgan said snidely.

"Actually no, she always said she didn't want to be known as overeducated and the only thing she is interested in is forensic pathology. She is the youngest ever medical examiner in this state. And she disappeared sometime between when I called you this morning and now. She never made it to the last victim's crime scene so I had to call in the Chief from Topeka and he had just arrived which is why I couldn't meet you at the air strip earlier."

"She's Reid's sister isn't she Danny." Gideon said looking very grim.

"Yes Jason she is, actually she is his twin sister." Connor said

"What" Morgan said surging to his feet? "You knew this and you let him walk in there and see that. What is wrong with you?"

He made a grab for the other man, but Hotch jumped to his feet and grabbed his shoulder. "Stop it Morgan this isn't helping us."

"Jason, I wanted to tell you in person. I didn't want him to hear this over the phone or in front of his coworkers in a briefing in DC. Besides I had no idea he even knew of her existence. You see Dr Matthews was raised from the age of three by her maternal uncle Phillip Matthews. When Dr Matthews and Dr Reid were three their father left and Diana Reid couldn't cope. Her mental illness was beginning to manifest it's self and she didn't know how to care for two small children on her own. Their father left because at that age the twins were beginning to show their extraordinary minds and he wanted nothing to do with raising two geniuses, especially with his wife's problems."

"Mrs. Reid begged her brother to take Stephanie and raise her. Her only condition was that she be told her parents and brother was dead. He took the girl without protest, which someone should have found odd as he was a mid twenties guy, good looking and single with no experience as a parent. He had no stable home for Stephanie and they bounced around and finally ended up here."

"He was molesting her wasn't he?" Gideon asked wearily.

"How did- Well I guess you would know Jason, but yes he was from the time she was six years old till she was twelve. She finally went to an adult she trusted, the high school librarian I think and told her. Mr. Matthews went to prison and she spent the next six years in foster care. She was lucky, they are a good family but the adoption was never finalized because they couldn't determine if she could be legally adopted or not as Mr. Matthews refused to disclose her parentage even if it meant a lighter sentence for him."

"I met her five years ago when I moved here. She had just started with the Medical examiners office and was their new rising star. She has overcome a terrible ordeal and she is the kindest and gentlest person I have ever met. About two years ago her foster parents were killed in a car accident. She was devastated. She still grieves them terribly but she decided she wanted to find out if what her uncle told her was true. She figured if he was a pedophile he probably lied to her about her family as well."

"I helped her look and six months ago we finally found Diana Reid. Stephanie was devastated again to learn that her mother was in an institution for paranoid schizophrenia. I spent three months trying to talk her into going to see her mother but she wouldn't go even when I told her that Diana's mental state was stable. Since she wouldn't see her I talked to the staff and managed to get Dr Reid's name from them. When they told me who he was I realized that he was your agent. I told Stephanie and I encouraged her to contact him but the last I talked to her she hadn't decided what to do. She didn't want to intrude on his life, but she also wanted desperately to meet him. I was under the impression that she hadn't met him and then when Dr Reid reacted this way to her picture on our crime board I thought she had called him and she hadn't gotten around to telling me yet. Jason she is like a daughter to me and I beg you to help me find her." Sheriff Connor looked as miserable as everyone in the room felt.

"He hasn't met her, Gideon said, of that I would stake my life. He would have told me."

"Are you sure Gideon, he is pretty protective of his private life. The only reason we met his mother is because he brought her to Quantico a few weeks ago for her safety." Hotch said looking over at Reid. He was still out.

'I don't know Aaron I suppose it is possible she just contacted him and he was so upset by it that he didn't know how to react or what to say to anyone of us."

Right now Jason, it doesn't matter we need to get going on this case, this profile so that we can get Dr Matthews back alive. We have to for Reid's sake. Hotch said

"Yes, Hotch is right let's get back into the other room and get started, Danny please join us you know the victim the best and we need to know everything there is to know about her." JJ stood up with the others she didn't want to leave him but she couldn't think of an excuse to stay there.

"JJ would you please stay here with Dr Reid I think he will wake soon and it will be best if he hears what we know from you." Jason asked the expression on his face unreadable.

"_Thank you Gideon! JJ cheered him mentally. "What ever he knows about how I feel I don't care anymore."_

Morgan gave Gideon a curious look but he said nothing and they walked out of the break room. The Sheriff grabbed the coffee pot and the donuts. "So the natives don't revolt" he explained to her "and this way they will stay out of here till he is ready to join us."

He shut the door and she sat down again and watched Spencer. He seemed to be sleeping and she wondered why he hadn't woken up yet. She had what she wanted uninterrupted time to just look at him and drink in his beauty, but she found that she didn't want that she wanted him to wake up and say something, anything to her that would mean he was okay. As if he heard her silent wish he opened his eyes and looked right at her.

"_Oh god, what do I say, can I say anything while he looks at me with those beautiful eyes?"_

"JJ what's going on, where am I, where is everyone else?" He said sitting up.

She gave herself a mental shake and smiled as she got up and went over to sit next to him on the couch.

"_Not too close girl, keep your distance or you won't be able to talk to him at all."_

She sat down on the opposite end of the couch and turned to him. "Gideon asked me to tell you what the Sheriff told them about the woman in the picture. Do you remember the picture?" she said kindly.

"Yeah I remember, what did he tell you?"

JJ told him everything that Connor had told them about Stephanie Matthews including her disappearance.

Spencer put his hands to his face and didn't say anything for a long time. Finally he lowered his hands and looked at her. She wanted to pull him into her arms when she saw the pain and the anger in his eyes.

"I am sorry Spencer; we didn't know that you knew of her. The Sheriff wanted to tell you all of this in person. It was-"

He interrupted her by saying, "I don't know her, and I thought she was dead all this time."

"But why did you pass out Spencer? We thought you recognized her and that seeing her on the board you knew what that meant."

"I was going to tell Morgan about a recurring dream I have had since I was a child and then you told us about the case and I didn't get the chance. You see I started having this dream when I was a small child. There was always someone else in it, a little girl just my age. She was my friend even thought she refused to tell me her name and I never saw her face clearly, but as I grew up so did she. Last night the dream began as it always does, a pleasant dream in a lovely place, and I asked her again why I couldn't see her face or know her name. This time she said I could see her. Then the dream changed and I was in a bed room and a woman was lying dead on the bed. There was so much blood everywhere; I had to walk through it. I saw her face and she was horribly dead and then she turned her head and looked at me. She said I was getting my wish, but that I had to hurry or I would never see her again. It was Stephanie in the dream but I didn't know it. Even so I was sick, I threw up everything in my stomach and I didn't sleep again. It was horrible. And now it's coming true. Oh, I know you think I've slipped a cog somewhere I can see it in your eyes."

"Spencer that's not what I think I just-"

I am not going mystical on you if that is what you think. I don't think I am precognitive or anything, but there are studies that show twins can sense things about each other. Some know when the other is in bad trouble or if they have died. Usually it is more common in identical twins but it can happen with fraternal twins as well. He stopped talking and looked at her curiously. "Hey what's with you usually when I ramble like that Morgan interrupts me and says something sarcastic about my fountain of useless knowledge. I annoy everyone when I do that so why haven't you stopped me by now?"

"I like it when you ramble on Spencer, I learn something new every time and that's great. Personally I think everyone should listen to you more they might learn something too."

"Okay, I think you are wishful thinking but it would be nice not to be interrupted till I finish my thoughts."

She had never thought about that. "I can see how that would be annoying for you." Let's go join the others and get to work finding your twin."

She made to stand up but he reached over and took her hand stopping her. "Thanks for telling me I am very glad to hear this from you. Thanks for being my friend; you don't know how much that means to me.

She squeezed his hand and released it as they stood up together and walked out of the room to rejoin the others.

Somewhere else at that same time

Her head ached, and when she tried to open her eyes, she yelped in pain at the bright light shining directly in her eyes.

"I see you are awake finally, It took you long enough, I thought for a moment I dosed you to high and you would never wake up and spoil all my fun," said a voice somewhere to her right.

She was frozen in terror by that voice. She knew that voice from somewhere. Something inside of her told her that she was in mortal danger. She whimpered in pain when she tried to speak, her throat was like sandpaper and she could hardly swallow.

"W-water please," she whispered. She was still blinded although her sight was beginning to adjust to the harsh light. She blinked and tried to see the face of the person that approached her but the face wouldn't focus, just like the face in her dreams, but this wasn't her dream friend, this was someone else, someone infinitely more dangerous. A hand moved over her head and pulled it up by the hair while another pushed a tin cup to her lips. She swallowed the cool, sweet water. It was wonderful, even though her stomach rebelled and she almost vomited back up what she had drunk. But she held on to it by force of will and the cramps subsided.

"You see my dear; I don't want you to die, at least not yet. My plans for you are not complete."

Her eyes had adjusted and he seemed to know this for he bent down into her line of sight and she screamed when she recognized his face.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Here is the next chapter. The warnings are the same as before. I don't own anything related to CM except my own characters I wish I did. Enjoy and I want to hear what you think so please review.

Reid and JJ walked into the small room that had been dedicated to the team to use while they were in town. Gideon watched him closely; he was worried about the young agent. He knew that telling him he was off the case and sending him back to Quantico would be useless.

"Reid, are you okay son?" Gideon asked. He saw the pain and anger in his eyes. There was something else there a kind of calm that juxtaposed with the other emotions he saw and he thought he knew the cause of it. He risked a glance at JJ but she was sitting on the opposite side of the room from Reid and not looking at anyone. Instead she was looking at the picture of Stephanie on the wall. Reid was also staring at the picture, looking a little pale.

"I don't know Gideon; I am very confused about a lot of things that have happened in the last 12 hours."

"JJ filled you in on what we know?"

"Yes, and I know you are all curious about my reaction earlier," Reid said walking over to the board and looking closer at Stephanie's picture. He told the team and the Sheriff about the recurring dream he had and how it had been invaded by his nightmares the night before.

"So you are a fraternal twin that explains why you don't look alike except for your eyes, they are the same." Morgan said.

"Actually Stephanie looks like my mother when she was her age, I look more like my father."

"You have the same hands Dr Reid," Connor said. I never apologized to you about how my people were staring at you but we all knew what you looked like you are famous in some circles because of your accomplishments for someone so young. Stephanie has a picture of you she took of off the internet. She had taken to carrying it around in her wallet and showing it to anyone who would look at it. She is very proud of you." Connor said smiling at the young man.

"You must mean that awful one taken of me when I got my last PhD and caused a media sensation in Washington as I had just been hired by the bureau?"

"Yeah I think that is the one."

"Well that explains the reaction, I think I might have been tempted to stare if I were in their position especially if what you say is true and she wanted to know me but stayed away because she didn't want to interrupt my life. I wish she had, I wish she had showed up on my doorstep and shocked me and made me suspicious of her motives, so that I could have spent time with her checking out her story. At least that way I would have known her instead of being here looking for her and hoping that the unsub doesn't kill her before she is found. I thought she was dead once, I can't go through that again."

Tears spilled over his eyes. Gideon started to get up as Reid wiped them away and held out a hand. "No Gideon please don't, not now I have to get to work on this."

Gideon sat down again, and Reid turned his back on the group and looked at the crime scene photos that had just been tacked up. When he turned back his eyes were dry if a little red. No one had said anything. JJ thanked God again that no one but Gideon saw her wipe away her own tears.

OK, guys I noticed something about the pictures of the crime scene on the plane and I didn't have chance to tell you till now. Do you see what is written above the victim? It says

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE  
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI  
FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH  
THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS...

"How many "F's" do you see when you read it?" Spencer asked.

Everyone in the group said they saw three, except for Gideon who saw four.

"Actually there are six. The human brain can't process the word "Of". Look again and you will see it now."

They looked again and they murmured in amazement. Reid let them talk a minute and then when it was quiet he said. "You see, if a person can see six "F's" they are a genius." I saw all six the first time I saw this brain teaser. Most people see three, to see four is rare. Now right underneath that writing the unsub wrote "Do you see six"

"So the unsub is leaving a message for you trying to say is as smart as you are. He is taunting you." Morgan said.

"Yeah, I guess, he is trying to get my attention, and he is succeeding. And it is for you guys as well, he thinks he is smarter than all of us."

"So we know he is white, between the ages of twenty five and forty, he is a sexual predator who believes that he is at least as smart as Reid and he believes that he will win the game he is playing. He is organized and restrained or at least he was up till now. He is escalating rapidly and could be becoming a disorganized serial killer, which means he is feeling threatened. Something happened to make him feel that way." Hotch said.

Danny we need a list of registered sex offenders in your state starting with this county. Also what can you tell me about Phillip Matthews?"

"I have the list for you. As for Matthews, he is still in prison. He got twenty years. He is up for parole in two years. He has done hard time as most inmates don't take kindly to child molesters and he has been attacked several times. His most recent cell mate was released 3 months ago and Matthews was attacked again soon after. He is in solitary now for his own safety."

"What can you tell us about the evidence so far?" Gideon asked Connor.

"There isn't much, this guy is very good, very few fibers, no finger prints, no DNA so far. I have talked to the medical examiner. He is out of his depth as he's coming into this last death in the middle so to speak." Connor said. The Sheriffs phone rang and he excused himself to go take it. He came back a minute later.

"That was his Honor the Mayor's secretary, I am supposed to get to his office now. I suppose I am going to hear about calling in a favor and going over his head." Connor said looking like he would rather face the serial killer than talk to the Mayor.

"I think we need to call a press conference, don't you JJ?" Gideon asked

"Sure thing boss I'll get right on it. I guess that means I'll have to call the mayor as I am sure he will want to be there, to reassure his constituents that all is well." JJ said with a predatory grin. Reid had never seen her look like that before and was a little frightened.

"Oh and JJ would you please assist Elle when you are done preparing for the press conference?" We have got to narrow down the list the sheriff gave us and with out DNA it's going to be very difficult. The rest of us are going to the latest crime scene and then to Dr Matthews home." Gideon said.

Sure Gideon, what ever you need me to do." JJ said and left the room to make her calls.

At the fourth crime scene, they discussed what was known about the victims.

"All of these women are the same height 5'11 light brown hair, brown eyes, they are all very attractive. All of them except for Dr Matthews worked at the computer factory outside of town." Hotch said

"We have talked to the security guards at the factory and there hasn't been anyone unusual hanging around. No traffic that shouldn't be there. We have talked to the owner of the factory and his staff. We narrowed down this list there to any suspects at all ex boyfriends, husbands; anyone and we can't find anything. Connor said the growing frustration in his heart showing in his voice.

He was able to go to the crime scene with then instead of going to the Mayor's office after JJ called the Mayor and told him that the governor of Kansas wouldn't be happy to know that a state employee was missing and possibly held captive by a serial killer and that may not have happened if they had been allowed in sooner.

After she had finished the phone call and told the Sheriff his presence wouldn't be required at the Mayor's office at that time and that His honor would speak to him at the press conference, Morgan had turned to Reid and said, "that is one scary woman I don't ever want her pissed off at me."

Reid could only nod his head in agreement while he looked at her with admiration and a little awe. She knew how to get results.

The women had all lived alone which had made it easier for the unsub to stalk and snatch them. They also lived within a ten mile radius of the computer plant.

I think we need to keep the plant top of our list as a hunting ground. I think this guy either lives close to it or he works there in some capacity. Gideon said.

The laptops and personal computers had been taken in as evidence, but so far nothing. Two of the women had kept personal journals but there was no mention of anything strange, or that they had felt threatened in anyway.

"So this tells us what we already know that this guy is good, very good at what he is doing." Morgan said looking frustrated.

Al right lets get out to Dr Matthews home maybe we will find something there. She is the one that breaks the pattern of how his victims were chosen. It is possible that she knows him from somewhere else. Gideon said.

In the car on the way to Dr Matthews home, Gideon was talking to Reid about his twin.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I wouldn't blame you if you can't go in there."

"I have to go Gideon she is my sister and I owe all of my time and attention to this case."

"Ok, son but if you need to you can talk to anyone of us, you do know that right?"

"Yes I do and I thank you."

"Of course my boy, we all care about you and Dr Matthews, we will do what is necessary to bring her home."

They arrived at the large white painted farm house. It was two stories high and very well maintained.

As they walked up on to the wide front porch Gideon said "This looks like a well maintained property does Dr Matthews have hired help Danny?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact she does, and we have spoken to him as well and he has solid alibis for all of the kidnappings. The doc hired him after her foster parents died. Her father was an independent business consultant that worked from home and her mother also worked from here as an accountant. Dr Matthews inherited this house and quite a bit of money as well. In fact she doesn't have to work if she doesn't want to."

"Is it possible this is a kidnapping for ransom? Are we jumping to conclusions that she was taken by our unsub? Morgan asked.

"There hasn't been a ransom demand and she does fit the physical profile of the other victims so I think it is better to err on the side of caution and say that she was taken by our guy." Gideon said as they entered the living area at the front of the house.

The floors were hardwood and polished to a mirror shine with area rugs of dark jewel tones strewn over the floor. The sofa, love seat, and ottoman were black leather with throws and pillows in the same jewel tones. There was a glass coffee table in front of the sofa piled with books and magazines in neat stacks. There were wall to wall book cases all crammed with books of every kind except for the wall directly opposite the sofa. On that wall was mounted a huge plasma screen television, below it on a stand was a DVD player and a DVR recorder, and to the right a large cabinet with dozens and dozens of DVD's.

Down the hallway was the kitchen with marble counter tops and state of the art appliances. It had an open view on the dining area. There was a bathroom at the back of the house, a half bath really. They went up the wide staircase to the master bedroom and three other bed rooms and two bathrooms. Everything was beautifully decorated and neat as a pin.

"Wow this is some place." Morgan said impressed in spite of himself.

"Her mother did all of the decorating she and her husband both grew up in Kansas and never wanted to live any where but here. When they died the doc couldn't bear to part with any of it so the house is the same as when her foster parents lived here." Connor explained.

There was noise from downstairs as the CSI's or what passed for them in this rural area entered the house to try to find something, anything. It was hard on them as they had all known and liked Dr Matthews very much.

Reid walked into the master bedroom and looked around slowly. He saw pictures on the table next to the bed. There were several of the people he assumed had been her foster parents. They looked like kind people and they must have been if she still mourned them as much as the Sheriff said she did. It was his own face looking out of a frame that undid his fragile emotions. She had taken a picture of him and then taken one of herself as an adult, trimmed it to fit and put it in the frame next to him. He wiped away the tears and asked her in his mind _"why didn't you call me I would've been so happy to know you?"_

He jumped when Morgan clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Hey didn't you hear us?" He asked.

"Sorry just lost in thought I guess," Reid said turning from the bedside table to Morgan.

"I know it's a dumb question, but are you alright buddy?" Morgan asked with concern coloring his voice, he could see the younger man had been crying, and he didn't blame him.

"I'm hanging in there. Isn't it strange, to be so upset over someone who for all intents and purposes is a stranger to me?" Reid said smiling a little.

"Come on Spencer, you shared the womb with the woman and were probably inseparable till you were torn away from each other when you were only three years old. That's a huge trauma buddy, and I am surprised both of you recovered as well as you did."

"I know you are right about most of what you said, but I can't help wondering if she is the reason I am so screwed up."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, all my life I have felt like something is missing and I never knew what it was. Sure I got picked on by my classmates and abused by my mother, but that isn't all that has been wrong in my life. It is like half of me was gone and I wonder now if Stephanie isn't what I have always missed. There are some people who say that Elvis might still be alive now if his twin brother hadn't been stillborn. They say he was always missing something too."

He looked back at Morgan who was looking at him with a very indulgent look on his face. "You must feel sorry for me if you are willing to endure useless trivia about the King without interrupting me."

"Yeah well don't spread it around but I happen to like Elvis and I was thinking how amazing it would have been to have two of them on stage."

"Ok, Derek this insight into your musical preferences is fascinating. I might laugh but I have to confess I like the King as well."

"Well now that's settled lets continue with the reason we came here." Morgan said with a grin.

"Her laptop is over there I am going to have a look at it." He sat down and booted up the computer. After a few keystrokes he said over his shoulder to Hotch who had come in to see how they were doing, " I am going to have to take this with me her data is password blocked and the password is encoded with a five letter and digit random-"

"Okay Reid, what ever you have to do to get into the programs. We have seen everything we need to here let's get back to the police station and help the women."

"He interrupted you, he must not feel sorry for you" Morgan hissed at Reid as he passed him chuckling a little.

"I heard that," Hotch said as he went down the stairs.

Back at the Police Station

"You know Elle for a place like Kansas they sure have a lot of scumbags running around. I would hate to go through the registry in DC if the one here is so full of charming people." JJ said

I've seen it and you are right you don't want to go there." Elle said dryly.

"The boys should be back soon and they can help us." JJ said.

"I hope so we shouldn't be the only ones to have this much fun." Elle quipped sipping her fourth cup of bad station house coffee. Luckily they had been kept in donuts and coffee all afternoon by officers who still felt guilty for the way they had treated Spencer.

"By the way JJ, what in the world did you say to the Mayor to get him off of Sheriff Connor's back?" Elle asked with a mixture of respect and curiosity in her voice.

"I simply told him that we had reason to believe that a State employee had been kidnapped by the same perpetrator that had already killed four women in his town and would he like it to be splashed all over the news for anyone including the governor that it could have been prevented if he had let us come here a month ago."

"I'll bet he didn't like that to much."

I don't happen to care what he does or doesn't like, this unsub has Spencer's sister and as far as I am concerned that is a personal attack on all of us. I mean we are like family right?"

"I agree and remind me never to make you angry girl, you rule."

"Just doing my job," JJ said dismissively.

"_Oh I doubt that, Elle thought to herself, I think there is more going on here than meets the eye, you are a little too protective of the young Dr Reid, maybe I'll ask Morgan what he thinks is going on with those two." _

About thirty minutes later the guys arrived and JJ left with Sheriff Connor for the press conference. The rest of the team watched her on the television. Reid was always very impressed with the way she handled the press. She was true to her word to the Mayor and did not impugn him and his council for not calling them in sooner. She gave them as little information as possible, although by agreement with Reid and Gideon, she told them of his connection to the Medical Examiner. Once they had that tidbit she had to endure their accusatory attitude with questions like "so is the FBI here only because the sister of one of your agents is missing" and the like from some of them.

Finally at 10 pm Hotch sent everyone to the hotel and to sleep there was nothing more they could do that night and they were all discouraged and exhausted, especially Reid. As usual Elle and JJ shared a room. Reid and Morgan were in a room and Hotch and Gideon were in another. The hotel clerk overwhelmed with so much business in the middle of October when her season was slow, tried to get Hotch to have his team spread out more.

"We have lots of room" she had gushed. "You can all have your own rooms." Hotch had assured her that would not be necessary and handed out room keys to everyone. It was a motel designed like a mountain retreat. The rooms were all separate cabins and had full kitchens and little living rooms with televisions.

Morgan headed straight for the shower and Reid changed out of his usual cords, dress shirt and tie. He grabbed the remote turning on the TV as he pulled on a tee shirt and sweats. He hoped that some mindless time in front of the idiot box would help slow his mind enough for some sleep. By the time Derek came out of the bathroom, he still felt restless and upset. He used the toilet then returning to the bedroom told Morgan he couldn't sleep and was going for a long walk.

"Do you want company?"

"No Derek thanks all the same I got to think."

"Did you ever think that thinking is your problem, you need to relax? Let's go down to the bar down the street I bet the local women are a great distraction." Morgan said and winked.

"I know that look Derek and getting laid is not what I need right now. Especially if I don't know the girl."

"Ok I think you are wrong but if you want some alone time go ahead just please take your gun."

"Yes mother," Reid said putting the Glock in the waist band of his sweats at the small of his back.

"Don't sit down and blow your ass off man." Morgan said beginning to laugh.

Reid picked up a pillow and threw it hard his aim was great for the first time in his life. Morgan, taken by surprise didn't move fast enough and took the pillow right in the face. Reid left quickly before Morgan could retaliate laughing as he went down the stairs to the sidewalk.

I'll get you Dr Reid! Morgan yelled at the door.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elle and JJ inspected their digs for the night. "This is cute I bet a lot of people would love to stay here, but give me a five star hotel anytime." Elle said.

"Hmm" JJ murmured.

"I heard that Jason is quitting the FBI to go to the seminary and become a priest." Elle said chuckling a little.

"That's great." JJ said staring at the wall

"Yeah, and Morgan told me he and Garcia are eloping next week to Vegas and then they are moving to Alaska to raise sea lions."

"Mhmm that's nice," JJ said quietly still staring at the wall.

"I heard that Reid is completely in love with Jerry Stanton in accounting, and they are going to come out to everyone when we get back."

What! That's ridiculous Reid is not gay!" JJ said looking directly at Elle for the first time since entering the room.

"Oh that got your attention. How do you know he isn't gay, is there something going on with you two that you haven't told the class about JJ?"

No! JJ said with more force than she should have, and Elle thought "_Uhuh, struck a nerve there." _

"Then why don't you tell me what is going on with you two." Elle said.

Realizing that lying to the profiler would get her no where she said. "I don't know how it happened Elle one day we're friends and working together fine and the next I am having erotic dreams about him and I can't look him in the eye without blushing. I have been hoping to keep it a secret and I should have known better especially in this job. No one keeps a secret from you guys. It is pretty annoying actually you do realize that Elle?"

"Wow, sex dreams about Dr Reid. I should be put off by that but I'm not. How was he?"

"Elle I hardly think this is something for us to discuss I mean he is in the next cabin." JJ wailed.

"Oh come on JJ he isn't in the room with us. So spill, what was he like?"

JJ sighed threw herself down on the bed and put a pillow over her face.

"I can't hear you if you try to smother yourself with that pillow." Elle said trying desperately not to laugh.

All that came from JJ was a muffled scream of frustration.

"Oh that good," Elle said.

JJ sat up and began to unbutton her shirt as she changed clothes she told Elle what was bothering her.

"So last night I have another dream about him and he was- well let's just say incredible doesn't cover it."

So, what's the problem sweetie?" Elle said going over to sit next to JJ on her bed.

"The problem is that I have these great dreams and I enjoy them and then he tells me about the nightmare he had last night at the same time I was having that great dream and I feel like a total jerk.

"JJ your dreams are not your fault, we all have dreams like that. And anyway you were across town from him at the time there was nothing you could have done for him even if you had been there."

"It's not just the dream Elle I want to tell him that I really like him, but after telling him a few months ago that we should just be friends, I don't know if he even thinks of me that way anymore."

"There is only one way to find out JJ."

"I know but what if he says "sorry JJ your too late I just want to continue being friends?" I don't think I could bear it."

"Hey you are the kick ass media liaison for this team you can handle anything, and anyway this is Reid we are talking about not Morgan, he won't say no."

"Do you think so?"

"I know so, now get out of here and go talk to him."

"Now!"

"Yes now, he could use some good news about now."

"Ok I will" JJ said a large grin on her face.

"JJ" Elle said as JJ turned for the door.

"What."

"If everything goes well and you want to "distract" him get your own room ok." Elle said laughing.

JJ picked up a pillow and launched it at Elle who unlike Morgan dodged it gracefully.

JJ walked out the door and down the steps laughing as she went.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Hey, what is so funny a voice said behind her?

JJ whirled around her heart pounding. Seeing the look on her face Spencer said "I'm sorry JJ I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay I'm glad it is you I wanted to talk you" she said her heart still pounding but for a different reason."

"Ok, what about," he asked her curiously.

The pathways were well lit and she felt her self blushing under his gaze. She turned quickly and said over her shoulder, "can we go sit over by the fire pit there are some benches there."

They walked in silence to the fire pit and she wished there were a fire. She didn't know if it was the mid October chill in the night air, or Spencer's closeness that was making her shiver in spite of the sweat shirt she wore.

They sat down on the bench and she didn't move away from him this time. Elle was right; she had to be the one to make the first move. Spencer never would and she couldn't wait forever to see what could be between them. Even so she was silent for so long that Spencer was about to ask her if she was okay when she said.

"Look at the stars they are so bright and beautiful and there are so many of them."

"That's because there's less ambient light from homes and businesses and little pollution in the air so we can see them much better than in the city. Look there is Cassiopeia and Libra and over there is the North Star." He said, pointing them out to her one by one. He was so close and his arm had come around her as he showed her the constellations. He was unaware of it or he would have moved away she was sure.

She turned to him and lifted her head at the same time he lowered his arm and his head and the top of her head hit his chin hard causing both of their mouths to snap shut hard. JJ bit her tongue and tears came to her eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry JJ are y-you okay." Spencer sputtered having just realized his arm was around a beautiful woman but he didn't move.

"Yeah she said, a little breathless at his closeness, just bit my tongue."

She put her right hand on his cheek.

"JJ-"

"Shush," she said and kissed him.

He froze his mouth hard under hers, but after a moment he relaxed and turned to her putting his other arm around her. Her mouth opened and her tongue probed at his lips, he opened his mouth allowing her access and she stroked her tongue through his mouth and over his tongue. He shifted and sat back pulling her on his lap. She felt him becoming aroused and heard him moan into her mouth as his hands fisted into her hair. The moan got through the fog his kiss brought to her mind and she broke if off scrambling out of his lap.

"I am so sorry Spencer, that wasn't what I intended by coming over here."

"Please don't apologize JJ, I really like you and I almost gave up hope you would ever think of me as more than a friend."

"Oh I do think of you as more than a friend Spencer. I like you a lot."

"Then what's the problem?" He said caressing her cheek with his finger.

"I am the problem, I want you so much Spencer."

"I want you too, so I'll ask you again, what is the problem."

This isn't right, you are very upset and vulnerable right now and I don't want to take advantage of you while you are hurting it wouldn't be right and I don't want you to wonder if I made love to you out of pity. And this is moving to fast for me I want to slow down and get to know you. You a great person and I want to know all there is to know about you."

"I want to know everything about you as well, and if you want to wait that's okay with me." Spencer said kissing her cheek.

"So can we just sit here for awhile and talk?" she asked.

"Sure" he said wrapping an arm around her again and pulling her close to him.

She leaned her head onto his chest and they began to talk about anything and everything. She looked at her watch and saw four hours had passed it was 2 am.

"I hate to say this but we have got to get some sleep, I have feeling tomorrow is going to be as bad if not worse then today." Spencer said shifting away from JJ and standing up

"You're right of course, she said standing up and stretching. "Will you walk me back to my cabin kind sir" she said curtseying.

"But of course my lady" Spencer said bowing low.

She took his arm and walked back to her cabin. He leaned in and kissed her.

She squeezed his hand and walked up the steps and into her room. He turned and had to fight the urge to skip like a lovesick teenager down the path to his and Morgan's cabin.

Neither of them slept and at 6 am JJ got up and put her jeans and sweatshirt back on. _"I might as well go get coffee at the café, one with lots of sugar for Spencer."_

She walked out into the cold early morning air. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and she admired it while walking down the stairs and then heading down the path. She thought it would be great fun to wake Spencer up and enjoy some coffee before they had to get back to work and pretending there was nothing going on between them although she was sure that Hotch was they only one not in on the secret now.

"Hey, is that you Agent Jareau," an unfamiliar voice said behind her.

She turned and smiled when she saw who was there. "Oh, it is you; it's been a long time he said grinning and stepping up close to JJ. Before she could register that something was very wrong with the way he smiled at her and react, the man pushed a cloth over her mouth and grabbed her in his arms as she passed out. He swung her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and silently congratulated himself for keeping such a good eye on the agents. He couldn't believe his luck when he had seen her with the nerd the night before and realized they loved each other even if they didn't know it. And then when she had come out alone the opportunity was too good to pass up. He put her in the back of his SUV and slammed the door down. He looked around to see if he had been observed and cheered himself when he saw no one. He walked casually up to the drivers side and got in. He strapped himself in. "Safety first." his mother reminded him out of the rearview mirror. "Shut up you old bat" he said and pushed the mirror to the side where he didn't have to look at her ugly face. He started the car and pulled away from the curb. This was going to be fun. He would watch the genius break down mentally and enjoy it. He wondered how long it would be till the young man broke entirely now that his woman and his sister were in the clutches of the worst serial killer to hit the Midwestern United States in years. Or at least that is how the man saw himself. His mother always said to be the best at what ever you did with your life or you were a failure. But then the bitch had told him he was a failure all his life and nothing would shut her up till he had killed her six moths ago. He drove away from the motel and couldn't wait to see how this beautiful little girl reacted when she woke up and realized there would be no escape for her.

A/N A friend sent me the brain teaser I am not clever enought to make that up on my own


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N the same warnings apply. First and second season spoilers. I don't own Criminal Minds, just my own characters. This is a short chapter but there will be more soon._

_Click-clack, clickety-clack click click. _

Spencer's fingers flew over the keyboard of Stephanie's laptop. After leaving JJ at the bottom of the stairs to her cabin he had entered his room as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake Morgan up and explain where he had been for the last four hours. Those hours were for him and JJ alone. They were special and sacred to him and he didn't want Morgan to turn it into something sordid. If there was one thing he disliked about Morgan it was the older man's constant teasing about his love life. It was almost like Spencer's inexperience with women was an insult to him. Spencer didn't have a lot of experience with sex and that seemed to bother Morgan a lot. Instead of trying to work out the psychology of that, Spencer crawled into bed as quietly as he could and thanked God that Morgan was deeply asleep.

He tossed and turned for hours sometime dozing other times wide awake. When he did doze off his dreams were pleasant and full of JJ. He still couldn't believe that she liked him. Him. Nerdy Dr Reid with his cords and his ties and his autistic tendencies, not to mention his mentally ill mother. She didn't care and he counted himself lucky and didn't question it. He had been disappointed when JJ had said she wanted to go slow with their relationship. He told himself he understood, the spirit had been willing but his body longed to push her down on the bench and make love to her in spite of the cold night air. As usual he restrained himself. He was used to physical restraint. How could he not be when most women didn't even look at him twice? He thought he deserved a medal for his restraint with Lila in Hollywood. Now there was a beautiful girl and he had almost been caught up in the moment. He was glad now that he hadn't let his baser instincts take over. He longed to be free and to give into every physical desire he had but he also wanted love and he loved JJ. He hoped she loved him too and that one day he could be free with her in every way.

He gave up on sleep at about five in the morning and instead got up quietly and went into the little living room and booted up Stephanie's computer. He was going to break through her passwords if it killed him.

At about six fifteen there was a soft ping and Spencer nearly shouted in triumph. He had broken in and could read any of her files. He found a journal in the directory. His hands paused over the keys. How could he read his sister's private thoughts and then face her again. Eventually logic won out he had to know everything in order to help her. He hit some keys and his twin's most private thoughts opened to him. He speed read through the documents scrolling rapidly and began to find the answers he was looking for and as he did tears fell from his eyes in torrents

630 am somewhere else

The man unlocked the door to his hideaway. He had renovated the old building himself it was outfitted with all the "toys" he needed to have the kind of fun he enjoyed in this stupid little town. He had been amazed how easy it was to hide in plain sight. He was so giddy sometimes that he really had to watch his reactions to the stupidity of the cops and the FBI. He didn't want to laugh at the wrong time and make the wrong person suspicious. Not that he worried about getting caught. He was confident that he never would and he would make Dr Reid suffer and he would relish in it.

He opened the cage next to the lovely Stephanie and put down his new guest. She was still asleep. Stephanie was unconscious or sleeping he really didn't know which. He better find out, he didn't want her too badly injured it was more fun if she weren't at death's door. He had restrained himself when he had beat her earlier that night and he would be surprised to know his thoughts on restraint ran along parallel lines to Reid's although for a different reasons. He didn't want love, love was for weaklings and he was strong. He didn't take these women for sexually satisfaction. It was all about power and he revealed in it. He had never killed anyone on purpose before and when his first victim had breathed he last he felt true freedom for the first time.

Taking revenge against Dr Reid was turning out to be the best decision he had ever made. He had found his true calling in life and when he was done here, and Dr Reid found his fair ladies to late to save them or catch him, he would move on to bigger and better things. Poor Dr Reid, he had wanted to kill him but leaving him an emotional and mental wreck would be so much better. His superiors' had better prepare a room in the asylum for him, right next to his insane mother; he was going to need it.

7 am Reid and Morgan's motel room

Spencer wiped at his red eyes again he had finished reading all that he could and he now knew who his sister had began to suspect of these killings. He also understood in some part why she had not shared what she knew with the police.

He picked up his phone to call Garcia for a favor when it rang in his hand.

"Reid"

"Hey sweet thing, you're up, I thought you might still be in dreamland." Garcia said in her usual bright manner.

"No I was going to call you anyway you must have read my mind."

"Well honey I can do everything else why not read minds." She shot back.

Reid smiled; she could always cheer them up. It was what he liked the best about her.

"Is your computer on?"

"No I have been working on another laptop, why?"

"Well ever since Garner hacked me I have been keeping tabs on your laptops and someone just sent you a pretty large video file attached to an email. I don't know what the email says because I don't read your stuff but I don't like the size of that file."

Spencer realized that asking her if she had permission from Gideon to do this kind of surveillance would be useless instead he said, "Just a minute let me boot up my laptop." He turned on the computer and said when it had booted up. "Ok I am going to read the file now."

He opened the email and read the text with mounting terror

Dear Dr. Reid.

It is time I introduce myself. I am the one you have been looking for. I have two of your loved ones now and really they were so easy to take. Your sister is so very beautiful, and so is the lovely Agent Jareau You really should keep a better watch on your women. And just so you believe what I am telling you why you don't look at the attached video file I am sure you will like what you see. Oh and by the way you now have twenty four hours to find me and your lovely ladies or they will be dead if you find them after the deadline. Get it deadline. LOL

There was no signature. Spencer had gone cold all over and nearly dropped the phone.

"Dr Reid are you there hey are you ok?" Garcia was saying in his ear. Her voice sounding far away.

"What, oh yes, sorry look I read the email but I can't look at the video file first there is something I have to do. But will you please try to track down the source for me. Thanks" and he hung up before she could say anything else.

He got up from his chair his heart pounding. It couldn't be true, he couldn't have JJ, the man was lying, he had to be. His hand shook as he walked into the small bedroom and leant over to shake Morgan awake.

7 am Elle and JJ's cabin

Elle strapped on her weapon harness and yawned. JJ hadn't returned from getting coffee and Elle desperately wanted caffeine. She wasn't worried, JJ had left before Elle had awakened leaving her a note saying she couldn't face whatever coffee was in the kitchenette and would be back with fresh brewed from the diner down the street. Elle was a heavy sleeper as well and didn't think too much of it to wake up and find her teammate and friend gone. Her bed had been slept in and that meant she hadn't spent the night with Dr Reid, or did it. After all Elle fancied she could sleep through a tornado so why not headboard banging the wall sex. The bed was pretty torn up. She grinned and decided that JJ needs to be put through the third degree when she got back. Her cell phone rang.

"Greenaway"

"Elle is JJ with you." It was Morgan and he sounded a little annoyed.

"No, Morgan she went out to get coffee what's going-"

But she was talking to dead air. Damn him, he could be so rude sometimes. She noticed he never hung up on Garcia. She wondered what was going on with those two sometimes, but made a point to stayed out of that pairing. They weren't Reid and JJ that's for sure.

"_Well if he is going to be so rude then I am going to go over there right now and find out what the hell is going on around here." she thought to herself grabbing her jacket and slamming the door._

715 am Gideon and Hotch's cabin

Gideon's cell phone rang as he finished his coffee. Unlike the others, neither he not Hotch was picky about their caffeine sources.

"Gideon."

"Gideon it's Elle we have a big problem, can you and Hotch meet us at Morgan's cabin?"

"What's happened Elle?" He heard the panic in her voice.

"It's JJ she's gone missing and we have reason to believe the unsub has taken her."

"We'll be right there. Aaron, we need to get over to the boys' cabin now." Gideon called.

"What's going on Jason?" Hotch asked walking into the kitchenette, he had just gotten off the phone with Haley, he missed her and little Gideon terribly on these trips and made it a point to call her everyday they were gone even though that didn't make it any easier for either of them.

"It looks like the unsub managed to grab JJ sometime between when we sent them off to bed and this morning."

"What! Why, she doesn't fit the victim profile." Hotch said unbelievingly.

"I don't know for sure but I have an idea that was Elle she's asked us to join them in Morgan's cabin."

720 am Morgan and Reid's cabin

Elle opened the door when Gideon knocked. He and Hotch entered and Gideon said "What have you got that makes you think JJ has been taken by the unsub."

"Reid got a call from Garcia this morning, apparently she's been monitoring our computers since Garner hacked the system a few months ago and she alerted him to an email. There is a video file attachment and we haven't looked at it yet." Morgan said his face grim.

"Has anyone tried her cell phone?" Hotch asked dread filling his heart.

"We all tried she isn't picking up and that is not like her. She also left her gun at the cabin but took her badge and phone. Elle said.

"Well let's look at the file," Gideon said.

Reid opened the file again and read the email to then out loud in a very unsteady voice. He was trying desperately not to cry. He opened the video attachment. It began with him and JJ sitting on the bench last night. He watched himself pointing out the constellations to her and then they had bumped heads and then kissed. The camera hadn't stayed on them for the entire time they had spent talking. _"Too boring for this sicko he thought."_ He was so worried that he forgot to be embarrassed that the unsub had just outed his relationship to his bosses. The scene changed abruptly and a mechanically altered voice began to speak.

"Dr Reid I wanted you to see that your sister is still alive. After all I don't want to take away your reason for looking for me."

The camera panned what looked like an old jail from a spaghetti western. The camera showed a women lying beaten and supposedly unconscious. Her faced was bruised and her lips split and there was blood on her clothes and face. It was Stephanie. Spencer exhaled explosively and began to rock in his chair keening like a wild animal. Gideon's hand fell on his shoulder and he stopped rocking.

The voice continued to speak as the camera shifted to the next cage. "And here is the lovely Agent Jaraeu sleeping peacefully, and she'll stay that way till I decide otherwise."

The camera moved over the unmoving figure with long blond hair and when he saw her face Reid jumped to his feet nearly knocking Gideon to the ground. He knocked his chair over as he said over and over, "no, no, please, no, no**, NO, PLEASE GOD NO**" he was shouting as he stumbled back to the doorway to the bedroom his eyes huge and wet with tears. He turned and climbed on to his bed scrambling up to the head board clutching his knees to his chest and rocking and refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."  
--Romans 12:19

A/N Please review!!!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Warnings are the same as earlier chapters and mention of rape but not graphic. I own nothing of CM only my own characters.

723 am Morgan and Reid's cabin

Reid's first person POV

_They want to see the video but I don't want to watch it. I want to believe that if I don't see then JJ isn't in his clutches and hurting somewhere. I want this delusion, please let me have it. But I can't so I open the video file for them. Oh God he was watching us last night. He didn't stay for the entire four hours I guess it got boring for the sicko. Now there is something new. Where is this place it looks like an old jail from one of those old westerns? I'll have Garcia check it out along with- wait he is talking telling me he has my sister. Not that I ever doubted that but still it scares me badly. Oh God there she is, oh he's hurt her. Her beautiful face the bastard, I want to scream and cry but I can't so I'll just rock a little I just need comfort and that motion is comforting. A hand on my shoulder stops me. I don't know who is touching me and I don't care. He just said something about JJ and there is blond hair and if I don't see her face it will be okay it won't be her. Oh Jesus it is her. No, no, please, no, no**, NO, PLEASE GOD NO** I begin to shout as I get up and bump into someone and something crashes behind me as I nearly fall. I have to get away, I can't deal with this. It is too much; just let me go away for awhile. I'm sitting again and rocking. There are voices all around me calling to me and saying I have to help them find someone. I don't want to help them anymore. They only want what is in my head and my head is my own. I have to go away, ignore the voices Spencer and go away. That's right, just go away. _

_The voices are fading and I am there again in that bright and wonderful place. I walk forward into the beautiful meadow and sit down again and close my eyes. If I close my eyes she will come back and she will be beautiful again with no scary blood or bruises. No don't think of that concentrate and she will come. It is soothing here the wind is gentle and perfumed with flowers. It is warm and inviting not cold and scary like the other place that I can't remember any more. I will sit down and wait, I know she will come. A hand on my arm and a voice. I know that voice but I don't want to open my eyes and see._

"_Spencer"_

_If I don't answer she will go away. If I respond something bad will happen._

"_Spencer Reid, look at me"_

_No_

"_Spencer, look at me! The voice cracks in my head like a whip. It hurts so I open my eyes and there she is her beautiful brown eyes flashing, she was extremely annoyed but she was there._

_She won't come you know." _

"_But you are her, you're Stephanie the woman from my dreams."_

"_Dear Spencer so logical and you always think with your brain and never you're heart."_

"_How would you know?" I ask petulantly not wanting to hear the answer. I only want to be left in peace._

"_I know because I am your heart, and I am here to tell you that you have to snap out of it or it will be too late."_

"_If you are my heart then you will know you it's broken in a thousand pieces."_

"_Yes I am broken, but I can be fixed. You have to go back face the world and find your twin and JJ or you will never be complete again."_

"_I have never been complete, I cried, "If we are going to tell the truth and shame the devil than you know that is true."_

"_Then do something about it for once in you life. Go back save them both and I will be healed and complete."_

"_It's too painful I don't want to leave this place." _

"_I know it's painful, she said sighing, but you have to face it for our sakes. Now go!" _

Morgan and Reid's Cabin 746 am POV of the team

Gideon had given up trying to reach Spencer. He was gone into his own mind and nothing the older agent did was getting through to him.

"Jason we have to get him to the hospital." Hotch's usual demeanor was cracking under the strain of watching the young agent disintegrate before his eyes.

"No, we can't, they'll put him in the psych ward and we won't see him again is that what you want Aaron?" Gideon said his heart was shattered seeing the young man's pain.

"No, that isn't what I want but he needs help, and more than we are trained to give him."

"Aaron he is in shock, he's had several bad blows to his mind and heart in the last twenty four hours. I don't believe he is retreating permanently, if I did I would get him to the hospital as fast as I could."

"I hope you're right because we have a deadline and we need his help if we are going to find our agent and his sister. By the way Jason, I'm assuming you knew of his relationship with JJ. I'm curious as to why you didn't feel it necessary to inform me." Hotch asked.

"Because up until last night there was nothing to tell, I suspected that they had feelings for one another but hadn't acted on those feelings. I didn't know how much Spencer loved her though until ten minutes ago or I would have said something to you."

"You know that it isn't good for fellow agents to get involved, it compromises their judgment and can distract them or worse, and Dr Reid just made my point."

"What would you have me do Aaron, transfer one of them and we lose great assets to the team. Or do you want me to tell them they can't see each other if they are going to work together. Even if they listened to me and did as I asked his heart would be broken again. That young man deserves all the happiness he can get after a life he has lived." Gideon said he was still watching Spencer for any sign he might be coming back to them.

"I am worried for their safety Jason that's all."

"I know you are that is what makes you a great supervisor, but we have to back off on this and let them make their own choices, they will be the better for it I promise you."

"Listen to us Jason we sound like their parents." Hotch smiled a rare smile.

"Oh, you're just figuring out that is exactly what supervisors are in some respects? Gideon said with a smile and a chuckle.

It was at this point that they all flinched when Spencer's eyes popped open and he jumped up off the bed and began to walk back to the table where they had been watching the video file. He was mumbling to himself. Gideon put a hand on his shoulder and said to him.

"Are you alright son, you scared us."

Reid looked like he had just awoken from a dream and was confused as to where he was. "I'm sorry everybody, I guess I freaked out a little bit, but I'm ok. I am sorry if I scared you all. He said looking as though he just noticed they were still there. "We need to call Sheriff Connor and I need to show you some email I found on Stephanie's laptop. I also need to call Garcia and have to run down and man named Steven Clay."

"Ok son slow down, we'll do all that, but we need to get something to eat first. We need fuel if we are going to hit this as hard as we need to. Lets get down to the café and you can tell us everything you have found." Gideon said putting his arm around the younger man's shoulders and leading him to the door.

While they waited for the Sheriff, Reid called Garcia to have her check out Clay for them. She informed him she was still trying to track the source of the email he had received and he grinned at the frustration in her voice. She was taking it personally that this guy was so good at covering his tracks.

AL's Diner 8:07 am.

At the crowded diner Gideon charmed the hostess into giving them a table at the back of the room so they could have a little privacy. In reality it wasn't Gideon's kind words that did the trick, it was Dr Reid that did it.

"_He's gorgeous, and he looks so sad. I wouldn't mind taking him home with me and "cheering him up" she though to her self _giving him a smile which he didn't notice.

"Sure thing she said to Gideon just let me grab Susie and we'll put a couple of tables together for ya."

After ordering breakfast, everyone turned their attention to Reid who informed them that he believed their original profile was flawed.

"Gideon do you remember the online seminar about profiles and how we compile them, and if they are always right, you railroaded me into hosting two weeks ago for the countries medical examiners."

"I didn't railroad you I simply reminded you that we set up a chat room and no one would know the others identity because you were all using screen names. You know as well as I do that anonymity always makes people more free in their expressions to others. And I was right you had no problem hosting it after I reminded you of that fact."

"Okay Gideon you're right and it was interesting. Anyway Stephanie kept copies of the IM's from that chat room. She was there Gideon only I didn't know it."

"What did she ask you?"

"She said she was working on a case of serial murders that seemed not to have a sexual component to them and that the violence was escalating rapidly. I remember that exchange and telling her that profiles are only as exact as the data we have meaning that they can change as the case progress, but that basic elements such as the age, race victim preferences rarely change. She said that she had a suspect in mind that she knew personally and what she knew of him didn't fit the profile in certain aspects. I told her that these offenders often put on a different face when dealing with the rest of the world and that if he knew her line of work he would be very careful around her. I wish I had known who she was and more about the case. I should have asked more questions, but I didn't have time as I was getting bombarded with questions from others in the chat room."

"Spencer you couldn't have known, you did the right thing," Gideon said reassuringly.

"That explains all those books on profiling we found in her home. I thought it was just because she wanted to understand you better." Elle said.

"So this man she knew is the one she suspected of these killings, why didn't she tell me?" Connor asked.

"I have a partial answer to that Reid said, but I need you to tell us everything you know about Steven Clay."

"What, that son of a bitch, he's the one she suspected? Connor said incredulously. He's not even in town anymore after what he did…" he trailed off looking guiltily at Reid.

"It's okay Sheriff I read her journal and I know what he did to her or rather what he tried to do to her."

Reid turned to the team as said; "Stephanie met Clay about six weeks ago just after the first victim was discovered. He worked at the computer factory and is something of a computer wizard. She admits to being very infatuated with him. She described him as tall dark and handsome. He was very charming and he was kind and gentle to her, at least at first. He was good, he got her to open up about her life and she told him everything from our separation as children to her abuse at the hands of our uncle to her finding me and even what I do for a living. It must have been a real kick for him to have fooled her so well given her position in the investigation. Then the night after the last victim was abducted, she invited him to her home for dinner. In the course of the evening he tried to get her into bed. She told him that she wasn't ready for that and she said he changed in a blink of an eye; he hit her several times and tried to rape her. She managed to get away and call the cops. He ran when he realized she'd call 911 and by the time the cops got there he had disappeared."

"Is that what happened Danny?" Gideon asked the sheriff.

"Yep, that's what she told me, I didn't tell you before because I honestly thought he was gone. And a good thing too because if I had found him I may have killed him for even attempting what he did with her" he said still angry with himself that he hadn't found him.

"Danny this isn't your fault. You couldn't have known what he was doing."

"I was FBI Jason I should have known."

"You couldn't have known we have all been fooled. Our initial profile of the man is wrong. We have to go on with the new information we have. One thing I think we can all agree on is that the four women he has killed here were to get the attention of the FBI specifically or unit and if we are going to find him we need to know why. Let's get out to Clay's home and see what we can find."

"Gideon I have been all over that place." Connor protested.

"I don't doubt your abilities Danny but we need to see it for ourselves.

"Al right but I am going with you."

925 am the home of Steven Clay

They had arrived 20 minutes ago and so far had not come up with anything to really help them except verify what they already knew and that was Stephanie and JJ weren't being held there or on the property.

"There has to be something we are missing Gideon, this is all too perfect. It is like he has first hand knowledge of everything we do to catch people like him and is ten steps ahead of us." Morgan said

"Is it possible he is ex law enforcement of some kind?" Hotch said.

I don't know but we need answers," Morgan said and pulled out his phone to call and badger Garcia but it rang before he could dial the number. At the same time Connor's phone beeped and he moved away to take the call.

"Morgan"

"Hey hot stuff it's your information superhighway goddess, I got something for you."

"Hey babe, make my day."

"I can't find anything on Steven Clay but I got a hit on a fingerprint found in Dr Matthews home. His name is Scott Carter."

"You get this from AFIS?"

Nope the federal database which is why you guys don't already know, the locals probably didn't think to check but you know I always exceed expectations especially when one of the psychos tries to hurt one of my friends."

"So he is one of us, or rather was one of us."

"You got it in one; ask Gideon about this guy he'll recognize the name."

"Ok, anything on the email transmission?"

I am still tracking it, he is bouncing it all over the planet but I'll bring you to his doorstep soon, I promise you."

"Thanks babe you are truly the best."

No problem sugar. How's my sweet boy? You tell him to hang in there we are going to get this guy and get his sister and JJ back alive."

"He's hanging on by a thread, I'll tell him what you said and thanks again Pen."

Morgan hung up his phone and told them what Garcia had found. Sheriff Connor ended his call and basically said the same thing. They had found a print but hadn't gotten a hit till they decided out of frustration to check the federal employees' database.

"So he finally made a mistake, Elle said, like they all do eventually." What I don't understand is why you didn't find prints in his home?

"Because the place was pristine, completely wiped down very little in the way of furniture no knick knacks, I honestly don't know if he ever lived there or if it was just for show," Connor said.

"So Gideon, Garcia said you would know the name Scott Carter." Morgan inquired.

"Yes I remember that name. He was an agent with anti terrorism back before we hired Reid. He had been trying for a few years to get into the BAU. It isn't that he wasn't qualified, he had the same training we all do but there was something about him that put me off. I didn't want him on the team. The last time he applied was when Reid was hired. He seemed to take it okay, but he quit the Bureau some months later he said he had a better offer from a computer firm and was going to take it. I thought he was out of my hair and wasn't sad to see him go. As I recall neither was anti terrorism in spite of his excellent computer skills. His co workers didn't like him and he had problems with women and authority figures."

"So you are thinking that by hiring Reid, who he would see as his inferior in every way sent him off the deep end?" Morgan asked.

"Yes I think he has been planning for an opportunity like this and meeting up with Dr Matthews gave him the opening he needed."

"He fits the profile like a glove," Reid said rather inanely.

"Yes he does, I am curious if he is capable of rape why didn't he assault the victims? Morgan said.

"Because he favors power and the sexual act is just an act with no real pleasure other than power over others, he gets his release by instilling fear in others male or female and it was a way to throw us off the track and get us to go with a wrong profile." Elle said

"So he was buying time and getting Reid's attention." Morgan said.

"Yes that is exactly it, now we need to get back into town and try to find another property has around here. It is somewhere secluded and private for his fun." Gideon said.

1135 am at the Police station.

They were going over everything they knew about Carter and his alias and were coming up empty handed. They knew that financially he was set, he had invested very well and had an inheritance from parents they had been killed in a car accident. Gideon had an officer checking into that accident in DC just to be sure it had been an accident.

Reid was looking at the video again trying to find something that would clue them into the man's hideaway. He was so tired, he got up to get the fourth cup of bad coffee he had drunk in the last hour and a half and he felt time slipping away from them. Tick-tock, tick-tock. At this rate they would never find Stephanie and JJ in time. He sat down in front of the laptop with a sigh and began staring at the screen as he had for 89 minutes and 20 seconds. He felt his mind wander to JJ and her beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to touch her and tell her that he loved her. He wished he had told her under the stars when he'd had the chance. He hoped that she knew some how and would forgive his cowardice. He could feel the tears threatening so he pulled his eyes back into focus on the screen and that is when he saw it.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Chapter one warnings apply. I own only my own characters please review. First Season Spoilers.

Please review!

Reid pulled out his cell phone and dialed Garcia. "What? She said impatiently, I'm trying to perform miracles here and you keep interrupting me!"

"Garcia its Reid I really need your help with an enhancement of this video."

"Well, I am getting no where with tracing the email so I might as well give up for the moment."

She tapped some keys and was soon looking at the same image he had seen a moment earlier. When Reid had freaked out earlier the others had been busy trying to deal with him and had not seen the end of the video. The unsub had panned back to Stephanie, seemingly trying to hurt Reid by showing him how he had damaged his twin. What was strange was that so far he had not hurt JJ and Reid wondered why but didn't have time to work it out. When the camera had passed just over Stephanie's head Reid had seen what looked like very small letters on the wall behind her that he had dismissed as gibberish but looking at it again and again as it was enhanced he had seen a pattern emerge. There were two words **_olbeup otreised._**

"What does that mean? Garcia asked. It looks like gibberish."

"That's what it is supposed to look like, Stephanie wrote it, she must have regained consciousness while Carter was watching us last night."

"She wrote that, with what? Garcia asked.

"Her blood I assume Reid said, deliberately sounding callous because he didn't want to think about the desperation driving his twin. He just thanked God her beating hadn't damaged her mind.

"Jesus, Reid you can't be serious" Garcia said shocked out of her usual happy go lucky demeanor.

"I'm completely serious it's not like Carter left her in there with a permanent marker to leave us messages."

"Right well what does it say."

"It's Pueblo desierto which is Spanish for ghost town. Can you find out if there is-?"

"Wait something just happened with my search. I've got a location. Thirty miles south-east of you but there is no way for me to pinpoint it further only that where ever that is there are no other electrical or cellular transmissions that are detectable." Garcia said

"A ghost town?"

"Yeah, I'll see what else I can find," she said and hung up the phone.

Reid turned to the others who had heard his end of the conversation and where staring at him with a multitude of looks ranging form horror to admiration to confusion.

"You heard I take it," Reid said.

Morgan was standing behind him looking at the video and said "I can't believe you picked that out Reid you're truly amazing."

"No, just desperate Reid said and we need to find out what ghost town is thirty miles south-east of here."

"That would be the town of Justice." Sheriff Connor said.

"The name of the town is Justice and there is a serial killer hiding there, is that some kind of joke." Morgan said irritably.

"Garcia sent me exact coordinates of the town and according to the map Justice is where we need to go." Reid said.

"Al right everybody lets go." Hotch said as they all got to their feet strapping on bullet proof vests and checking their weapons.

Noon at Justice

"This is getting boring Carter was complaining to the two women. I mean I try to help your lover out by sending that video, but I guess their computer skills leave more a lot more to desire than I had anticipated, but no matter, I'll still get to have my fun."

"I thought you didn't want us found that is why you gave them the 24 hour deadline." JJ said. She was getting tired of his whining. When she had known him at the Bureau she had thought him exceedingly arrogant but now he was just like any other pathetic unsub they chased.

"Oh that was just to get things moving, no I want Dr Reid here to see you both die."

"But why, what has Spencer ever done to you Scott, he doesn't even know you?"

"I told you not to call me that and how am I supposed to feel when I apply to the bureau and Jason Gideon hires a nerdy kid over me. Yeah sure he is smart, but he's just a scared kid with no experience and I put in seven long years with anti terrorism. All I ever wanted to be was a profiler and Jason kept me out for an autistic nobody. I'm just supposed to take that! No, I don't think so, and I have shown you all how smart I am. All you have gotten has been because I wanted it not because you profiled me. And now when your precious Dr Reid finds your lifeless bodies my revenge will be complete and I will go on to bigger and better things."

"_Be careful Jenn, he is obviously insane._

"You haven't done your homework or you would know that you underestimate Spencer. He will find us and when he does you will be sorry you were ever born."

"Those are big words for someone who is locked up and at the mercy of someone like me, but I'm not worried. He can't even shoot straight." Carter said laughing uproariously.

"Shut up," JJ said furiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot were talking about your beloved. Of course I wonder what he really means to you after all while I was watching you last night you were pretty cozy until you put a stop to it, why is that? Did you realize that the good doctor has no idea what to do with a beautiful woman like you? What do you seen in that freak anyway?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Careful remember I have the gun and it's pointed at your fellow prisoner, so if I were you I would answer my questions."

JJ knew he was serious; this wasn't a man who made idle threats. Stephanie had awakened but she was not responding to anyone and JJ wondered how badly she was hurt.

"Al right I'll answer your questions just don't hurt her anymore."

"Frankly I am surprised you care Agent Jareau, you don't even know this woman and yet you protect her, why is that?"

"Because she is important to Spencer and I love him" she said simply.

"Then tell me my dear why did you stop him from shall we say "hitting a home run" He winked suggestively.

_I can't believe I am having this conversation she thought praying that Spencer would forgive her._

"I just told him I wanted to go slow with our relationship."

"Really, shall I tell you the real reason you stopped him from screwing you?"

"I told you the reason, she said angrily. You can't profile me."

"Oh can't I? My dear I always know everything there is to know about my adversaries and I have researched the whole team, shall I tell you about your self especially your recent relationships?" He ignored her protests and continued.

"You have had a string of relationships with men you have slept with and in some way or another they haven't lived up to your expectations. One was even married I believe and when you found out you were furious. This was about the time you went out with poor Dr Reid and you told him you only wanted to be friends and have been hiding deep feelings for him until now when you suddenly told him how you feel and yet you still hold back. You don't believe he really loves you, you think he is going to be like all the others don't you? I mean you have worked together for over a year it's not like you were balking at sex on the first date with someone you hardly knew. You are teammates and members of the elite BAU and that makes you closer then family in a lot of ways and still you hold back."

"Shut up, she whispered you don't know anything about me."

"Oh I think I do and I know I am right about you, but no matter, I will soon put you out of your misery along with that bitch next to you. To bad Dr Reid's misery will only begin."

JJ sat down on the filthy cot and covered her face with her hands and wept while Carter laughed.

Just outside of Justice on a lonely dirt road.

Three Ford Explorers topped the rise to the ghost town of Justice their sirens and lights off only the white headlights flashing in the sun. They had made the thirty mile trip in record time as there was little traffic on the state highway. They had turned off the state highway seven miles back and had to slow considerably as the road was in poor condition. The trucks were sure footed as tanks though and could be pushed hard over the terrain.

As they entered the ghost town two of the Explorers peeled of and traveled around to the backs of the old buildings. The first Explorer stopped in front of the Jail and Gideon and his team spilled out into the mid day sun. Hotch, Reid and Gideon ran to the front of the building stopping in front of the door. Elle and Morgan went around the building looking for another way in. After a minute Morgan's voice sounded in there ear pieces.

"We found another door Hotch."

Hotch keyed his mike and said, "Ok we go on three" he counted it down hit the door hard it flew open and hit the inside wall. They heard the other door go down and they moved quickly through the building clearing it in seconds.

"There's no one here. Gideon said, unless we over looked something."

Then in his ear he heard a member of the police department tell him they had found old barn with a locked door.

"Who locks a door in the middle of a deserted town?" Morgan asked no one in particular.

"Exactly Gideon said, let's go"

They piled back into the Explorer and drove to one end of town to what looked like an old wheel wrights shop.

Morgan and Hotch took the door down and they soon found the trap door to an old root cellar.

"Be careful Gideon said the place could be booby trapped."

They descended carefully and met no resistance. They could tell that the cellar and the tunnel had been enlarged and they were able to walk upright down the tunnel to the only door at the end. Hotch and Reid were up front with Gideon, Morgan, and Elle following. Hotch stood to one side of the door with Reid on the other side. He looked at the younger agent and nodded his head. They went through together Hotch high shouting "FBI! Drop your weapons" and Reid going low shouting the same warning.

In the cellar in Justice

Carter continued to talk to JJ even though she had long ago ceased to respond to anything he said, he didn't care. He would soon make her talk, in fact soon she would scream for him just like all the others he had brought to this room. Suddenly a light blinked that was mounted over the door. He had rigged an early warning for him self running it off a battery. He wouldn't be taken by surprise. He had to give the Good Dr Reid credit, he was much earlier than anticipated, but no matter the game was still his to win. If he couldn't win and go his way he would take one or more of the agents with him.

"Well Agent Jareau it looks like your boyfriend and coworkers are here." He stood and walked to Stephanie's cell pulling out a key ring.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Why getting a hostage my dear and Dr Reid's sister will do nicely I think."

"No, can't you see she is barley conscious and will slow you down take me with you instead."

He studied Stephanie for a moment, and said "You're right she is pretty useless to me except as a lesson to Dr Reid, I'll leave her here for him to find." He walked over to JJ cage open it pointing a Desert Eagle 44 magnum pistol at her head. He grabbed her and dragged her out of the cell just as the door burst open. He pulled her in front of him and put the hand gun to her head.

"That's far enough boys, you all know what this gun can do so just back off."

"Drop the gun Carter and put your hands on your head." Spencer ordered.

"Oh that's funny my timid friend, you can't hit the broad side of a barn with that thing and I have a gun that will blow you girl's head off at point blank range, so who do you think will win this little show down?"

Gideon had motioned the rest of the team to stay back and be silent. He knew Dr Reid could handle this man and he wanted to give the young agent a chance to prove himself. The others had come into the room and they did as Gideon wanted but they never lowered their weapons.

"Carter the place is surrounded with cops, there is no way out for you Spencer said so drop the weapon and let her go."

"I don't think so, I think you are going to step aside and let me leave with the lovely Agent Jareau because in your heart you know you can't shoot me so why don't you lower your weapon and get out of my way, little boy.

"No Spencer don't do it." JJ screamed.

"You shut up bitch," Carter yelled tightening his grip around her throat so that she could hardly breathe.

Spencer never wavered his hand was steady as a rock. He looked JJ in the eye and said quietly "I love you JJ, do you trust me?"

She couldn't speak but nodded her head her beautiful eyes telling him she trusted him with her life.

"What's this have you grown a spine Dr Reid, I'll say it again you can't do it. I know you. Carter said taunting the young agent.

"You know nothing about me, I have killed."

"Oh, please we all know that was a lucky shot, I still have friends in the Bureau and they told me you were aiming for his leg when you pulled off that head shot."

Spencer remained rock steady the gun never lowering. "You see Connor, that's where you are wrong, yes in the official report it reads that I got a lucky shot but in reality I meant to shoot him in the head because I knew he meant to kill the people in that hospital. I always hit what I want to hit. I just don't like to kill but for you I will make an exception if you don't release her and drop the gun." He said in deliberate tones.

Carter saw something in the young man's eyes that convinced him he meant it and in a split second he decided he wasn't going down alive. He pulled the gun away from JJ and pointed it toward Spencer pushing JJ hard to the ground, her head hit the floor and she lay unmoving as five gunshots echoed through the small room and Carter dropped, he was dead before he hit the floor.

Spencer holstered his pistol and ran to JJ side. Gideon was already. He looked up at Spencer and said "She'll be alright but she is unconscious. Go check on Stephanie. Spencer bent down and took the key ring that was sticking half out the dead man's pants pockets. He ran over to her cage. It took him a minute to find the right key, but then the door opened and he dropped to his knees beside her. He frantically pulled all the medical knowledge gleaned from medical texts from his brain. Her breathing was very shallow and she was unconscious it looked like she had at least one broken rib and a concussion.

Stephanie was only two inches shorter than he and weighed only about 20 pounds less then he so he shouldn't have been able to pick her up alone but he was still fueled by rage and adrenaline and he lifted her as if she weighed nothing.

"We have to get her to the hospital Gideon." he said tears in his eyes.

"Spencer wait for the ambulance." Gideon said.

"No Jason, they won't make it down that dirt road we need to meet them at the state highway" he said turning and leaving the room moving as slowly as possible so as not to hurt Stephanie.

He wanted to hurry but he forced him self not to. He climbed the stairs and went out on to the street. Elle was behind the wheel of the Explorer with the engine running. Morgan was in the back seat with the door open, he helped get Stephanie laid out on the back seat and Spencer yelled to Elle "GO!' as he slammed the door shut and knelt by his twin's side.

The Explorer flew down the road as fast as they dared over the terrain. Morgan and Reid held Stephanie as still as they could and Reid never passed a longer seven miles. The hospital was forty miles northwest and they had called for the ambulance when they left Lawrenceville. When they got to the turnoff to the state highway they heard the siren and saw the ambulance speeding toward them. Elle pulled across the highway tuning the Explorer north and stopped on the shoulder. She got out and flagged down the ambulance. It pulled off the road and stopped as Spencer and Morgan got out of the vehicle carrying Stephanie between them. The Medics got her onto a gurney and into the back of the ambulance. Spencer climbed in with them and they made a fast u-turn and sped off the way they had come siren screaming and light flashing. Morgan and Elle followed their own sirens wailing.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: The same warnings apply. I own nothing of CM only my own characters. Please review.

Mariposa County Hospital

Reid hated hospitals. He hated the way they smelled. He hated the white or beige walls, as if uniformity meant comfort to the injured and the dying. Most of all he hated waiting, waiting for someone he loved to live or die. This hospital, although a lot smaller than others he had been in, was the same. The doctors and the nurses were kind, well meaning people but they were the same too. They answered his questions with platitudes meant to give hope while all it did was make him feel like a child underfoot.

He and Morgan paced in opposite directions from one another in the small waiting room. Elle was sitting staring into space. Gideon was still at the crime scene with the CSIs and the Sheriff wrapping up the case. Hotch was standing at the window looking at the dead corn fields in the distant but not really seeing them. They had cut it too damn close again and JJ had almost paid the price. If not for Reid both of those women would be dead. Reid still managed to surprise the older agent at the oddest times. Hotch knew that he needed to let him take a larger role in their team but he had been afraid for the young man. Not that he couldn't handle himself for he had proven today that he could, but that he would lose his gentleness and his kindness.

It was 8 pm when the doctor finally came into the room trailed by JJ. Reid had finally sat down and was asleep with his arms folded on his chest his head tilted back on the wall. Morgan was still pacing and Elle was curled up in a chair asleep. The doctor quietly approached Hotch as JJ went over to Reid. She bent down and kissed him rubbing his arm gently.

"Hey sleepy head it's time to wake up," she said softly.

He jerked his eyes snapped open and he stood up grabbing JJ in his arms and kissed her hard.

"You're okay?" He asked his voice trembling a little

"She's fine Dr Reid, just a bump on the head and some assorted bruises and cuts; we don't need to keep her here so I am releasing her." The doctor said with a tired smile.

"Doctor how is my sister?" Reid said anxiously, squeezing JJ's hand for comfort.

"She's out of surgery and still in recovery. There was internal bleeding we had to stop and she has two broken ribs, a concussion and three broken fingers. Also assorted bruises on her face and body, but she will recover."

Relief like a tidal wave washed over him nearly making him faint again. "Thank you doctor, can I see her?"

"No she is still in recovery and will be for several hours. Why don't you go home get some rest?"

"No, home isn't here and I am not leaving till she is awake" Spencer said firmly.

"Al right I'll have the nurse get you when Dr Matthews is ready for visitors." The doctor turned and left the way he had come.

Reid turned again to JJ and hugged her tight. Her arms came around his neck and neither moved for a long time.

"I am so glad she's going to be okay Spencer." she kissed his cheek

"I was so scared for both of you. I couldn't lose either of you; you're both precious to me." He said trying to keep back tears. They were for later when Stephanie was awake and out of this place.

They sat down on a couch in the corner Reid's arm wrapped around her shoulder and her head was on his chest.

"Babe you don't have to stay here, you have been through something horrible and you should go get some rest." Spencer said.

"No way Spencer I'm not going anywhere" she said with finality.

He gave up arguing with her and to be honest he was glad she wouldn't leave. Her presence was like cool water on a hot summer day.

"I love you" she said looking up at his tired face.

He smiled and said, "I love you too, JJ but please never scare me like that again, I couldn't bare it."

"I promise I'll try." She grinned and said. "So tell me Dr Reid, you don't know of anymore psychos out there plotting revenge against you? Because if there are then I'm out of here."

"I sincerely hope Carter was the only one out there." Spencer said with a sigh.

The hours passed as they always do when you have to wait for a loved one to wake up in a hospital. JJ had gone to get something for Spencer to eat even though he insisted he wasn't hungry. She left anyway claiming she was starved. He had stretched out on the couch and was fast asleep when JJ returned. The others had left going back to their motel rooms to sleep. JJ sat down on a chair facing Spencer and watched him sleep while she ate a less then edible egg and cheese sandwich from the convenience store a couple miles down the road. She hadn't wanted to leave the hospital but the cafeteria was closed. The coffee was even worse so she stepped out to buy some soda from the machine in the hall. She sat back down and continued to watch him sleep. It was the only time Spencer ever looked at peace. She remembered the bank robber turned killer in LA. That case had been rough on all of them especially Hotch who had been feeling extra guilty for leaving his sick boy for the case. Something had been different about watching Spencer on that trip.

Flashback

_They had boarded the jet back to Quantico. No one said anything, they were all exhausted and disturbed by this case, especially Hotch. He looked even more somber than usual, if that were even possible. JJ sat down in a seat near the window Elle sat toward the middle while Gideon and Hotch were at the other end of the plane. JJ leaned back and ignored Morgan and Reid who were on the bench across from her. She closed her eyes and pretended to go to sleep. _

_She actually did doze off for awhile and when she woke up everyone on the plane was asleep except for Gideon and Hotch who were still talking. She unbuckled her seat belt and turned sideways. She looked at Spencer and her heart began to pound hard in her chest. He was so beautiful. He lay on his side his head pillowed in one hand. She thought he looked like an angel fallen from heaven. He had the longest eyelashes she had ever seen on a man and eyes were what she always noticed first about anyone. She liked his new haircut although she would never admit it out loud. He was so still when he slept. Usually he was always fidgeting or pacing or moving in someway but he was still now. The careworn and tired look he'd had was gone, his face was utterly serene. It was right then that she realized she wanted to do anything she could to keep that look on his face when he was awake. She didn't know how to do that when they were just friends. Maybe that had been a mistake. She fell back to sleep watching him and didn't wake up till they landed in Washington. It was the first time his distracted "See ya" had made her knees turn to jelly and she had to sit down again to get control of her pounding heart before exiting the plane last of all and driving home alone._

As JJ sat in the hospital watching the man she loved she realized that it had been that night all those weeks ago when she had realized she desperately loved him and it had scared her badly, she had denied it for as long as she could. She didn't want the complications of working with a lover. But oh how she wanted it to work. He was everything she had always wanted. Looking at him now she felt lust curling in her belly and she wanted to take him away from all this and make love to him. She didn't care anymore about how fast their relationship progressed. Carter had taught her that it didn't matter, she wanted to seize every moment she could with Spencer. She was snapped out of her reverie by a whimper from Spencer. He moaned and began to move his arms reaching out as if to take hold of something. She heard him say her name and their was so much pain in his voice. He called for Stephanie too, saying he was sorry over and over again. She went to him falling to her knees beside him. She stroked his hair off his fore head and kissed him lightly. She began to speak to him in quiet soothing tones.

"It's alright Spencer, I am here I'm not going anywhere. Be still my angel, and sleep." She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. She stayed there speaking to him till he quieted and fell into a deeper sleep. Those damn nightmares he had, she wanted to somehow get into his head and take out all the pain so he didn't suffer anymore. Tears began to fall as she realized that what happened that day was making it worse for him.

A nurse entered the waiting room. "Is that Dr. Reid?" she asked.

"Yes it is, do you have any news for us about his sister?"

"Only that she is out of recovery if he wants to see her, but I warn you she hasn't woken yet. Maybe you shouldn't wake him though, he looks like he can use the rest"

"No, I'll wake him he really wants to see her."

She knelt beside him again and began to shake his shoulder gently. He moaned and jerked away from her tears falling from under his lashes. She spoke more firmly

"Spencer wake up!"

He jerked again and his eyes popped open. He looked at her and his eyes lost the terrible fear they had shown for just a few seconds. He hugged her and she said nothing letting him get his bearings. He released her and she stood up.

"The nurse is here baby, Stephanie is out of recovery, and you can see her now."

He leaped up and said "Oh, where is she?"

"I'll take you to her Dr Reid." said the nurse who had waited for JJ to wake him.

"Do you want me to come with you babe." JJ asked.

"Would you mind if I went alone JJ?"

"Of course not I completely understand, I'll be waiting here for you ok."

"Thank you for staying, I needed you to be here."

"How could I not, I love you Spencer and I care about what happens to Stephanie for your sake."

He kissed her and left the room with the nurse. JJ laid down where he had been hugging her body to the warmth of his body still held by the fabric and she soon fell asleep.

Stephanie's hospital room.

They had put her in a private room as he had requested. Even so he was afraid to approach her. Now that the fear and the adrenaline had worn off he wasn't sure what to do or say to her. Technically they were strangers not close siblings and he was nervous. He went in quietly as it was just a little past midnight. He had expected her to look bad, but the bruising on her face made her almost unrecognizable. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes again and swallowed hard to keep them back. He looked at the IV's in her arms; there were high dose antibiotics, pain killers and fluid replacement bags. Three of her fingers were taped and he could only imagine the bandaging and strapping underneath the sheet and hospital gown she wore. She was receiving oxygen as well although he was glad to see she was breathing on her own and not intubated. He sat down next to her and began to talk.

"Hey Stephanie it's me Spencer, they told me you're going to be okay. I wanted to apologize to you; it's my fault you are here. I hope you can forgive me, because I really want to get to know you and be part of your life again if you will let me." He was silent for a long time because he didn't know what else to say. He held her good hand for a long time and then began to speak again this time telling her about himself and his work and his coworkers. When the nurse came in later she gently shooed him out saying that she needed her rest and he could come back in the morning. He wanted to argue but in the end he knew she was right and he went back into the waiting room.

The waiting room

He saw that JJ was asleep and he debated waking her and taking her back to the motel where she would be more comfortable, but he didn't want to be apart from her. He needed her strength to get through the next hours. It was his turn to watch her sleep and he couldn't believe that someone so beautiful loved him. She deserved someone handsome and sure of himself. Spencer was anything but, despite of how he had handled Carter. He had been scared to his toes of losing her and Stephanie and that had given him courage, but what of later when they were back in DC. Would she still want him? He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice her open her eyes.

"The answer is yes, Spencer."

He looked up in surprise and said, "Yes to what JJ"

"I know that look you're feeling insecure again." she said getting up and coming over to sit next to him. She took his hand and said. "I meant what I said, I love you and I want to go where ever this takes us."

He kissed her hand and said, Ok, but you'll understand if I'm occasionally insecure?"

"Sure, but not about us, when it comes to us I am your's for as long as you will have me."

Ok, forever then."

"Forever, she said kissing his cheek. Now tell me about Stephanie I want to know everything you saw."

He smiled and told her everything he had seen and said. They moved back to the couch and when morning came the nurse found them asleep.

24 hours later.

Reid had convinced her to go to the motel to get a shower and some real sleep. She was just arriving back to the waiting room where he had been for the last day and a half. She had bad news and didn't want to tell him on the cell phone. He was standing by the window in the waiting room staring at nothing while his thoughts went round and round. She walked up behind him and put her arms around his waist.

"Hey babe, how are you this morning?"

"You were right a shower, some food and a good night's sleep works wonders but Spencer, when are you going to take your own advice. I'm sorry honey but you look like death."

"I can't leave I want to be here when she wakes up. I have to hear her voice and know for my self that she is ok."

"l have bad news Spencer, I can't stay any longer. The director want's us back in DC today. He understands you have to be here and has given you all the time you need but he wants me back."

"I knew this would happen, but I'll miss you so much. Please be careful my love. He said turning to her and kissing her deeply.

"Will you promise me to eat properly and get some rest? I don't want you to get sick Spencer."

"I promise" he said and let her go.

The plane trip back to DC was torture and as soon as they touched down they headed into the office of the Director to fill him in on Carter and on Dr Matthews. After they had all been debriefed, JJ went to Garcia's office as the computer expert wanted to see for herself that her friend was okay. They talked for awhile and Garcia wanted all the details on her relationship with Reid. JJ told her because she knew that Garcia wasn't fishing for gossip that she cared for Dr Reid. After catching Garcia up on all that happened she went to her office to try and clear her desk. Just after she shut the door, her phone rang and her heart leaped when she saw Spencer's name on caller ID.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you."

"I'm great babe, she's awake."

Oh, honey that's great how is she."

"In a lot of pain but we talked for awhile and she is amazing JJ."

"Well of course she is, what did you expect you're twins after all and you're amazing too."

"Thanks babe, I just wanted to tell you and would you please tell everyone else. It looks like she will be leaving here in about a week if all goes well and I have permission to stay until she is settled back at home. I would like to bring her back with me, but she wants to stay here. She loves it here and as much as she wants to spend time with me she wants to stay here with her friends and her career and I can't ask her to change for me."

"I know Spencer, we all have to follow our own paths but maybe she can come for a visit soon."

"Yeah, she wants to come for Christmas."

"Well that's great, we'll roll out the red carpet here and then she'll really be sorry she came." JJ said laughing. He sounded so happy and it made her happy too.

Spencer laughed and said, "Yeah especially after she meets Morgan and Garcia."

"Listen babe, I have to go but I'll call you tonight and when I do you had better be in your motel room getting some rest."

"Ok mother, I will."

"Watch who you're calling mother smart ass."

"Sorry beautiful."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." She said and hung up on him laughing.

She went into the bull pen to fill everyone in on Stephanie and then back to Garcia's office. Finally she was back at her own desk and working with a lighter heart. It was all okay now and she couldn't wait for him to get home.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A/N I am skating close to an M rating for this for sexual content but nothing too graphic You have been warned

I own nothing of CM

Spencer stretched his long legs out in front of him with a small sigh. The truth was he was exhausted; the last 8 days had been an emotional rollercoaster. Now, he was done in Kansas and was going home to Quantico and his beautiful JJ. He'd made sure that Stephanie was comfortable at home while she continued to heal. He hired a nurse to help her and she had friends to stay with her at night. He didn't want her to be alone. He knew the nightmares would come for her and he didn't want her to suffer alone. He'd stayed in her home while she was in the hospital. She had insisted by pointing out that his boss would like not having to pay for a motel room while he was there. So he had moved in and they had been there together the last two nights he had stayed after her release from the hospital.

She'd told him everything she could remember about her ordeal with Carter. When she asked him how they had found Carter he reminded her of the message she left and asked her how she had known where she was. She told him that during her brief periods of consciousness, Carter had talked nonstop to her bragging about what he had done to the other women and what was in store for her. He also said he was going to get revenge on Spencer and the Justice would be served. He'd used that word a lot and since she memorized maps she knew about the town and she took a chance that they were in that town.

He'd made her promise to call him if she needed anything and he had also made her promise to go back to the therapist she had seen after their uncle had molested her. She promised that she would go, making a joke about how her freedom was over now that she had an over protective brother. She had pretended to be put out by his attitude but in reality she loved it. They had both cried when he'd had to leave that after noon. He was glad the team hadn't needed the jet for a case. He hadn't wanted to deal with commercial flights and this way Stephanie was able to accompany him to the airstrip and say goodbye on the plane. Sheriff Connor had driven them to the plane and he had promised to keep an eye on her.

Now he was halfway home and happy that it was Friday. Hotch had told him to enjoy the weekend as he was expected to be back on Monday. Spencer pulled his phone out of his pocket and called JJ.

"Hey babe, I'm on my way home." He said smiling widely at the sound of her voice.

"Good, I've missed you so much, you are coming straight home to your place right."

"No I have to see Gideon and get debriefed."

"Well don't take too long, remember I'm cooking for you tonight."

"I'm looking forward to it; you found the extra key to my apartment where I told you it would be, right?"

"Yes, I did, don't be late" she said and hung up.

This time Spencer didn't sleep he was too excited to be going home.

Reid's apartment 7 pm

He had finally finished with Gideon, Hotch and the Director. He still had to write a report but he was putting off that chore till Monday. He unlocked the door to his apartment and upon stepping inside thought he was in the wrong place for a moment. Whatever JJ was cooking smelt wonderful. The air was redolent of garlic, basil, tomatoes and beef. He breathed deeply sighing with happiness. He never cooked, was terrible at it and usually lived on take out or the less the great food at the BAU cafeteria. There was music playing on his stereo. It was the Corrs "Leave me breathless"

He turned the corner to the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw. JJ was dancing and singing to the radio in a slightly off key voice while she dealt with dinner.

Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless  
Tempt me, tease me until I can't deny this  
loving feeling, make me long for your kiss  
Go on, go on  
Yeah, come on...

Her back was too him, so she didn't see him come into the room and she hadn't heard him he was sure or she wouldn't still be dancing with such carefree abandonment. He smiled and stood back enjoying the way her slim body moved to the music. Her hair was piled on her head out of her the way and he wanted to kiss her slim neck.

And I can't lie  
From you I cannot hide  
I've lost my will to try  
Can't hide it (can't hide it)  
Can't fight it (can't fight it)  
So...

Quietly he walked up behind her putting his arms around her waist and kissing the back of her neck. She jumped and screamed a little in surprise, but then relaxed, her head falling back to his shoulder as she enjoyed what his mouth and tongue were doing to her neck.

"Mmm, careful babe, my boyfriend will be home any minute." she said giggling.

"I can take care of him."

"I don't know she said he can really kick some ass."

"I don't care" he said spinning her around and capturing her mouth in his. She opened her mouth allowing his tongue entrance and moaned when it flicked over her own. He pulled away biting down on her bottom lip before breaking off the kiss.

"Well I see you're very energetic this evening. I take it all went well."

"Yeah, I left with Stephanie's complaints ringing in my ears about how her care free days were over now that she has an "overprotective brother with a badge and a gun" out there ready to kill anyone who hurts her." he said with a wicked smile.

"Yeah well I see her point, how's she supposed to get a date now that everyone knows about you."

"That's the beauty of the situation; I don't have to worry about my sister's virtue when I can't be there to protect her."

JJ gave him a baleful look as she set the table. "Come on honey she's a grown woman, she's going to be okay."

"I know babe I just worry, we haven't had a great track record." he said looking a little put out and very adorable. His clothes were rumpled and he had a day's growth of beard. He looked dangerous and she was getting very hot just looking at him.

"It's going to be a few minutes on dinner, why don't you take a shower?"

"Is that your polite way of telling me I look like something the cat dragged in?"

"Yes, but don't shave."

"Why not?" He said looking surprised.

"Because I like the way you look."

"Ok, I be back in a few minutes." He said and turned towards his bedroom

She had made an excellent spinach salad and pasta. The table was lit with candles when he came back out to the kitchen looking refreshed. JJ was a great cook and he ate more in twenty minutes than he had all week. After they cleared the table she went over to the stereo and put a CD in the player. Nora Jones began to sing "Come away with me."

"Dance with me Spencer" she said wrapping her arms around him.

Okay, but I'm a lousy dancer."

"I don't mind, I mostly want your arms around me, I missed you so much," she whispered.

"Are you trying to seduce me Agent Jareau?" He said his mouth busy at her neck once more.

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?"

"No but Baby I- it's just that I never- oh hell I don't-"

"It's okay just relax and let me do all the work."

"I thought you wanted to go slow," he said as she kissed him moving down to his neck sucking lightly at the pulse beat feeling it speed up.

"I changed my mind, are you ok with that?" She said pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"Yes I'm a guy after all." he said cheekily.

"Watch it buddy or I might just leave now."

"Oh no you started this, now you'll finish it" He pulled her back and kissed her deeply.

"Come on she said and took his hand leading him to his bedroom. She turned, shut the door and began to light candles she had placed around the room. Her heart was pounding when she lit the last one and she stopped to take a few deep breaths. She walked back to Spencer pulling the clip out of her hair and shaking it free. He had said nothing and hadn't moved. She noticed he was trembling. She pulled her tee shirt over her head and pulled him in for another long kiss moving down his neck again. He pulled back and she started to speak, when he put a finger to her lips and then pulled off his shirt. She moved in again licking his chest to one nipple. She flicked her tongue over it and sucked lightly. He inhaled sharply and moaned as she moved her hands to his jeans opening the button and pulling them down. His breathing was rapid and shallow as she reached around to remove her bra. Her breasts weren't large but he didn't care as he mimicked what she had done to his nipple. She sighed and murmered her approval of his ministrations. She slowly shed the rest of her clothes and then reached forward and pushed his boxers to the floor. She pushed him down of the bed and climbed on to it straddling him. Mouths met, her tongue flickering in and out of his mouth, hands intertwined and their bodies joined. When they came it was simultaneously, calling out each other's names. He told her he loved her when she collapsed on his chest. Once their ragged breathing returned to normal she said.

"Are you ok sweetheart?"

"Yes, where did you learn to do that?"

She chuckled as said "Let's just say a girl has to have her secrets and leave it at that."

"Okay I'm not complaining."

"I know I was there remember?"

He slapped her naked bum lightly and kissed her. Soon he was asleep, JJ remained awake for awhile watching him sleep and when his breathing deepened she moved a little He whimpered and his arms tightened around her waist as if even in sleep he was afraid she would leave. She stayed where she was listening to his heart beat slow and she slept.

The next morning JJ woke to rain pattering on the roof, she turned and saw that Spencer was still beside her sleeping, and she thanked God that yesterday hadn't been another of her dreams. She took the opportunity to look him over again. His hair was mussed from sex and sleep and she giggled looking at the red love bite on his chest. One long leg was peaking out from under the sheet. She ran her hand up his thigh and under the sheet and laughed again when he jerked. She looked up and saw one eye was open.

"This is your wake up call" she said winking suggestively

She squealed as in a flash he grabbed her and pushed her onto her back, pulling her hands over her head as he rolled on top of her.

"Attempting to molest a federal officer is a serious offence young lady, how do you plead." he growled.

"Oh, I am guilty Mr. Special Agent, what's my punishment?"

He said nothing but when he was done "punishing" her she loudly proclaimed her approval.

By Monday morning he was clear headed and more limber that he had been for as long as he could remember. JJ didn't want to go to the office but they hadn't left his bed except to eat and answer the call of nature, all weekend.

She watched Spencer get up and head to the bathroom. She lay thinking about the weekend and plotted how to get him to her house after work that evening. He came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel his hair wet, he dropped the towel and she indulged in the view as he dressed. He turned around zipping his pants and saw her staring at him. He blushed at the look in her eyes and she said.

"Oh come on Spencer how can you blush after the weekend we just spent."

"Well it isn't everyday a beautiful woman is staring at my naked ass." He said

"Thank God for that," she said flippantly and got up to take a shower.

They talked over coffee and wondering if they were going to be able to keep their hands off each other at work. They knew they had to be discreet even though everyone knew about then as he didn't want to give the gossips in the office more to talk about and then there was Morgan and his teasing.

But, they underestimated Morgan, he left them alone, mostly because the they were buried in paperwork from two cases they'd had while Spencer was in Kansas. And Reid had his own work.

The weeks progressed and soon it was Christmas. JJ loved seeing Reid as happy as a small child, as his twin was coming for the holidays. She helped him decorate his apartment, which was something he had never done before as he'd always hated the holiday before Stephanie and JJ.

He'd gotten clearance for Stephanie to come into the Bureau and they got more stares from people. They were so similar in appearances and in mannerisms. Morgan called them the twin geniuses. He teased Spencer by telling him he was going to set Stephanie up with one of his friends.

"Oh no your not," Spencer said.

"Come on buddy, you sister's a very beautiful woman, I'd take her out myself if I didn't have my hands full with Garcia."

"Thank God for small favors" Spencer said.

JJ and Spencer threw a party for everyone on Christmas Eve. Stephanie was the last to leave that night. She had insisted on staying at a hotel. She loved JJ and wanted her brother to spend all the time he could with her without worrying about his sister walking in at the wrong time.

After everyone had left JJ and Spencer exchanged gifts and sat on the couch wrapped in each others arms talking. Time flew by as they talked less and kissed more. Soon he picked her up and carried her into his room where they spent the rest of the night making love. When dawn came he watched her sleep and hoped the new year would be full of such days and night as they had spent in the last weeks. He would do his best to love her and to take care of her. She woke and kissed him telling him she loved him and they moved over each other in the now familiar rhythm the had established while snow fell outside and the sun rose in shades of read and purple to warm the earth with its rays.

The End

A/N Crappy ending I know but I didn't know really where to leave this so no flames please.


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